Soul Calibur FanFic (English)
by miguel.ruizsarasa
Summary: In a time of hand to hand combats and naval battles, when brute strength was worthier than intelligence; everybody around the world spoke about a powerful sword...
1. Prologue

Hi everybody! My name is Michael, I'm Spanish and I'm a Soul Calibur fan. It's been a while since I started writing this story which is based on the saga (up to SC III, because at that time I had never played SC IV and SC V hadn't been released). I have kept some elements of the storyline in the videogames, but I have also changed and added many others.

I'm studying English so I have decided to translate the original Spanish version of the story into English as an exercise for me, but also in order to share the story with more people. You'll find both versions in this web. I hope those of you who are going to read it in English can forgive my mistakes, and I'd be glad if you helped me to correct them. The story has 100 episodes (+ a prologue and an epilogue). Most of them are quite short, but a few of them are a bit longer. The Spanish version is almost finished, but I have just started to translate it into English, so I'm going to upload the episodes in both languages when their English version is finished. That's all! Hope you enjoy it! :D

**Prologue**

In a time of hand to hand combats and naval battles, when brute strength was worthier than intelligence; everybody around the world spoke about a powerful sword.

A big, resistant and strong sword. A sword which could only be controlled by a warrior with a great fighting spirit.

This sword was no other than Soul Edge.

It was firstly found by a rarity merchant from the British Empire. He was marvelled at it, but he couldn't even imagine how powerful it was, neither how many deaths it would bring (directly, with its own edge; and indirectly, through all the battles it would start among its seekers). This merchant, known as Mr. Adams, loaded the sword on his ship as a piece of his merchandise. He had made a terrible mistake.

At the night when he was heading to his native England, a pirate ship with Spanish flag came in his way. The pirate crew boarded Adams' ship, killing almost everyone on board.

The only survivors were Mr. Adams, his wife and their son, who was hidden in the hold.

The pirate crew had the Adams surrounded on the deck.

At that moment, Cervantes de León, the pirate captain, made his appearance.

He murdered the Adams in cold blood, and ordered his crew to take only Soul Edge.

After having the sword, the pirate ship moved away, not before sinking the Adams' with their cannons.

The Adams' ship was sinking slowly into the ocean, with a frightened boy hidden inside, trying to hang on his life, a life which had been taken off his parents.

**...**

But not a far better future was in store for Pirate Cervantes either.

A time after that, in a naval battle, he was mortally wounded, and he fell to the sea along with Soul Edge.

His corpse and the sword were dragged by the currents to Indian coasts, where a German descendent called Siegfried Schtauffen found them.

Filled with greed, he tried to get the sword, but it was then when it unleashed its power. The evil spirit of the sword possessed Cervantes' body in order to protect itself.

After a hard battle, Siegfried got the weapon, leaving the pirate for dead.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

**...**

Little by little, Soul Edge was draining Siegfried's soul, until there was nothing left, and he became Nightmare, a bloodthirsty warrior.

Nightmare begun slaughtering all around the world, until Siegfried managed to fight himself and get rid of the evil he had inside.

After leaving Nightmare's armor and Soul Edge, Siegfried tried to forget all that had happened, but soon he started feeling something was wrong, like if his interior evil being was trying to get out.

He soon found out Soul Edge had revived Nightmare through his armor, and that he had to defeat both of them if he wanted to live. Furthermore, the Evil Seed had been released and it was spreading all around the Earth.

In order to finish it all, Siegfried should find the only weapon able to defeat Soul Edge: Soul Calibur, The Holy Sword.

It wouldn't be an easy task, and there would be a lot of people after the sword, but he had to do it. He owed it to himself and to all the people he had killed under Nightmare's influence. And among all of them, to his own father.


	2. Chapter 1: Tales from the East

Chapter 1: Tales from the East

- Fighting doesn't fill my soul anymore, Edgar. – confessed a samurai to his brother. – I think there is no enemy worthy of my sword. I've been fighting against your pupils for years and none of them have even scratched me.

- Thinking you are the best fighter in the world is not okay, Heishiro, because you aren't. – said Edgar. – The fact that you beat my pupils doesn't mean anything. They are apprentices. Surely there are a lot of warriors more powerful than you.

- I don't need them to exist, I need to find them.

- What about that Ninja girl? – asked Edgar. – The one who always gets in your way during your journeys. You told me she's a great fighter.

- It's always her who finds me. I don't have a clue where she is. I don't even know if she's still alive.

The two siblings were having this conversation on the deck of a Japanese dragon-ship. They were coming back from a naval battle which, again, they had won thanks to Heishiro's swordfighting skills.

Everybody in the area knew Heishiro Mitsurugi, the warrior who boasted of never having lost a swordfight.

As far as it was known, it was true. No warrior, native or stranger, had succeeded in beating him. In fact, most of them didn't even touch him.

Meanwhile Heishiro was thinking where to find powerful warriors, his ship reached port.

Just after landing, the brothers met their old mother, who was waiting for them with a sad face.

- At last you're here. I have something serious to tell you. – mumbled the woman, sobbing.

- What happens, mother? – asked a worried Edgar.

- Your father is dying. – answered his voiceless mother.

Mr. Mitsurugi, like his children, had been a great warrior in his times. He had been in as many battles as grey hairs he had, and he had kept Japan's honor in a lot of wars.

But old war wounds were taking its toll, along with the years, and he had been convalescent for months.

Just as Mitsurugi brothers' mother told them, a doctor had visited their home two nights before and he had said that their father would live at the most for a week. Now, before dying, Mr. Mitsurugi wished to entrust his last will to his sons.

- You'll see… Emperor Ming, in China...- his words were interrupted by some coughing. – Emperor Ming is looking for...the Sword of Heros.

- Sword of Heros? Soul Edge? – exclaimed a shocked Heishiro, who had some knowledge on the subject.

- Yeah, exactly. – answered his dying father calmly. – And if he gets it, he will have enough power to defeat our troops...and to conquer Japan.

- That's terrible. – said Edgar.

- I'd like you to...save the country. You have always proved your courage in the hardest battles, so I'm sure you'll be able to.

- But, father… – whispered Edgar. – We are only two men. Japan has a powerful army.

- Gossips say Emperor Ming has infiltrators everywhere. – he coughed again. – The Japanese army is near splitting. Most warriors are mercenaries who would call "Emperor" to the highest bidder. Japan needs a loyal warrior, a brave one. A warrior willing to die for his country. A warrior like you.

- What do you want us to do? – asked Heishiro, knowing the answer.

- I…I want you to find Soul Edge. Before Ming's men do. He has a lot of generals working on it, and it's a matter of months for them to be successful. You won't be alone. I'm sure there are more warriors who fight with the heart and not for money. But you should look very well to find them. You can't trust anyone.

- Calm down, father, you can trust us. – said a self-confident Heishiro.

- I'm proud of you. Now, go to prepare your journey. It won't be easy. Honor…your country. Honor..the name of Mitsurugi.

And that word, Mitsurugi, was the last one he ever pronounced. After telling his sons what to do, he could die in peace. Mitsurugi brothers knew what they had to do. And Heishiro, despite the tear running down his beard after his father's death, was excited about the new challenge.

** ...**

At the same time, something similar was happening in Ming Empire. Something similar but opposite.

One of the most important generals in the Empire was dying on his young daughter's (Chai Xianghua) arms. She should get her father's role in the East Battle: To find "the Sword of Heros" for the Ming Empire, in order to conquer Japan.


	3. Chapter 2: Ling-Sheng Su Temple

**Chapter 2: Ling-Sheng Su Temple**

Ling-Sheng Su Temple was a sanctum in the mountains of Nepal. Powerful warriors trained there in a lot of different disciplines.

But, unlike other warriors, these weren't patriots fighting for their country, greedy pirates or men in search of challenges.

The noble warriors of Ling-Sheng Su Temple were looking only for their inner peace through fighting, and to purify those people who got evil inside of them.

The master of the temple was a wise old man, who despite his age was in a better shape than the most athletic guy. Through years of devotion he came up to master all known fighting styles, and now he taught them to young students who wanted to be as powerful as he was. Nobody knew his name, but he was known as Edge Master, because it was said that he was the only man in the world who had been in front of the famous sword, Soul Edge, and hadn't tried to get it.

But not all the apprentices were as far from his level as it would be appropiate to expect.

One of them, Kilik, had a really great potential. His fighting style was the Staff. He used an iron staff as thick as a thumb finger and two meters long. It could be used for both offensive and defensive moves. He was, without any doubt, the best student in the temple.

But Edge Master noticed Kilik was not only a great fighter. His way to treat his partners was great too. Kilik seemed to be a better person than most warriors.

The best evidence of this was his relationship with Xianglian, a girl who was also a student in the temple.

If you had arrived at the temple recently, you'd have said that he had a romantic interest in her, but Edge Master, who had been observing them for years, knew Kilik loved Xianglian in the way a brother loves his sister.

Xianglian was, probably, the only thing in the world worthier for Kilik than his staff. And clearly Xianglian was fond of him too.

Ling-Sheng Su Temple was usually a peaceful place, but that wouldn't last forever.

**...**

This happened on the last night of the year, when the master and the students were celebrating the end of course.

Edge Master had been preparing a feast for a week. He had descended from the mountain where the temple was located in order to pick up juicy fruits and hunt appetizing animals.

It was being a magical night. Edge Master could be very demanding with his pupils, but he also loved them very much, and it could be told by the fondly way he had cooked all the food for them.

All the students were seated around a huge stone table, presided by the master.

At the end of the night, the best student of the year would be chosen. It wasn't a surprise to anyone when Kilik won for the fourth year in a row. And, one more time, he was forced to improvise a speech in front of his partners.

- Well, ah... – muttered a doubtful Kilik. – We're here again. All together in a place which has become ours. In this place we learn to fight, but...it isn't all about fighting. Here I'm learning to love my fellows…and to be loved by them. And I wouldn't be here, one more time, in front of all of you, if we didn't love each other as we do. And our master too. Thank you everybody for another year working hard together. And thank you everybody for another year loving each other. Thank you, master, for giving us the chance to become great fighters. And finally, I have to say "thank you" to a person above all. A person who helps me in bad moments and who is always there to share the good ones too. Thank you, Xianglian.

Xianglian smiled.

- Well, any more words I could say won't be enough, so...that's all.

Kilik went back to his seat, beside Xianglian's, between rounds of applause, and the girl kissed his cheek.

- I have a present for you. – said Xianglian with a big smile, giving him a pendant.

Kilik looked at her lovingly and put it around his neck.

The master stood up and took the turn to speak.

- Well, boys and girls. You know how we work in here. We only rest when it is strictly necessary. So have a nice sleep, 'cause tomorrow we are back to work. Good night everybody, and congratulations for this finished course!

He gave a clap which was the signal for the students to get up and go to their bedrooms.

But the sleep wouldn't be as nice as the master had wished.

In the early morning, the master felt something strange. Something unexpected.

He got up and got out of the temple. He felt it even stronger outside the temple, coming from the south.

He hadn't been sure about it at first, but now he knew what it was.

An evil feeling like that...could only be Soul Edge.

Indeed, it was the Evil Seed, a perverse aura which could get inside everybody who wasn't strong enough to resist, transforming them in bloodthirsty killers.

Edge Master knew he could resist the Seed, but his pupils were too vulnerable.

He hurried and awoke all of the sleepy and confused students.

- What's going on? – asked a complaining Xianglian.

- Surprise training! – lied the master, who didn't want to worry the students. – Run to the north as fast and as far as you can.

The stunned students followed their master's orders. All of them but Kilik.

The best student of the year sensed something was wrong, so he confronted his master.

- Master, what's really going on? You can't lie to me.

- Kilik, something very bad is happening here very soon. You should be as far from here as possible. Trust me.

- But…?

- Run, dammit! – interrupted Edge Master.

Kilik reluctantly obeyed.

Edge Master went after his pupils in a hurry, but disaster was imminent.

They weren't even two kilometers away from the temple when the Evil Seed caught up with them.

Edge Master watched terrified as his students got an evil twinkle in their eyes and turned ones against the others.

He could have tried something, but he knew his pupils were going to kill each other, and the survivors would spread terror in the surrounding villages.

But not everything was lost. Through his tearful eyes, Edge Master saw a ray of hope.

Kilik hadn't got the Evil Seed inside of him. He was also fighting against his partners, but only in order to protect himself.

Undoubtedly, Kilik's soul was strong enough to resist the Evil Seed, in the same way Edge Master's was.

The master ran among the possessed students and grabbed Kilik's arm.

They escaped, but in order to do that, Edge Master had to kill some of his beloved students.

Not much later, the surviving evil students stopped fighting among themselves and ran back towards the temple.

Kilik and Edge Master followed them as they could, since the Evil Seed made the students faster and stronger. When the two of them were back in the temple, this had been reduced to ashes.

Edge Master couldn't restrain his anger at the view of the ruined temple which had been his home for decades, and he attacked his possessed pupils, ignoring Kilik's pleas begging him not to do it.

The master got inside the ruins and got his best weapon, a big trident, and he started killing with it the students he had once loved.

But when there was only an evil student left, he hit the master with his sword.

Edge Master fell wounded and he dropped his trident.

The attacker lifted his sword using both hands, willing to kill him. Edge Master, devastated by grief and pain, raised his eyes and saw the face of the person who was going to execute him.

When he recognized her, he got petrified.

Above him, a girl was holding a sword hanging over his chest and with her eyes glaring with malice. She was Xianglian.

She was about to give the death stroke when, suddenly, a long iron staff broke through her abdomen.

The girl dropped her sword, which hit the ground close to Edge Master but didn't touch him, and she collapsed. She was dead.

Behind her, Kilik was holding the staff, which was now covered with the blood of the girl who had been like a sister for him.

Kilik dropped his weapon and, crying, he leaned over Xianglian's body. He stroked her lifeless face and looked at her eyes. The evil shining had disappeared. The Evil Seed was gone, but it had taken away Xianglian's and many other lives.

Kilik closed her eyes and remained embracing the corpse for a while.

At last, he stood up and helped the master to do so. The old man sat on the remains of the temple and Kilik, trying to hold back his tears, treated his wound using a medicinal plant which grew in the temple surroundings.

Edge Master put a hand on Kilik's shoulder and said:

- I'm very sorry.

Kilik nodded.

- What happened, master?

- Your partners have been possessed by an evil energy. A very strong energy.

- But... What about me? Why didn't I…?

- It seems like you are stronger than they were, Kilik. You have the strength I had when I was your age.

- What? – Kilik was very surprised. Too many emotions for one day.

- Not everyone can resist Soul Edge, Kilik. In fact, this is very unusual.

- Soul Edge? Soul Edge has something to do with this?

- Soul Edge is the source of all this evil energy. The Evil Seed has been released.

Kilik was listening very sad and a little scared.

- And it will corrupt every good soul in the world...unless somebody does something to prevent it from happening.

- Who can? – asked Kilik, thinking he knew the answer.

- Those people who can resist Soul Edge's power. People like you and me. But it's very dangerous. I'm not going to ask you to do something you don't want to do. I could find you a home and…

- No! – Kilik interrupted. – I won't stay idly by waiting for the Evil Seed to reach me. I'm going to help you to find and destroy Soul Edge.

- That's a really difficult task, I hope you know. You've surely heard about when I had Soul Edge in front of me.

- Yes. And that you are the only one who didn't surrender to the temptation to take it.

- It's true, I was strong enough to resist...but it's also true that I wasn't strong enough to destroy it.

- So…you have attempted it before.

- Yes, I did. And as you can see, it didn't work. But I hope we both together can do it.

- It's okay. – accepted Kilik. – I owe it to my partners.

He grabbed the pendant Xianglian had given to him and stretched it against his chest.

- And I owe it to Xianglian.


	4. Chapter 3: The pirate from Ryukyu

Chapter 3: The pirate from Ryukyu Ryukyu was a village in the area currently named Okinawa, in Japan.

It was a fishing village, where everybody had a quiet, pleasant but boring life.

However, there was a man who didn't content himself with this peaceful lifestyle.

Maxi was 28 and he had an adventurous spirit which couldn't be satisfied in a place like that.

So he decided to put to sea looking for emotions, along with his brother Kyam and a little crew of men who also wanted to bring some excitement to their lives.

Money was a problem, so he was forced to become a pirate.

But Maxi, who would soon become known as "The pirate from Ryukyu", wasn't an ordinary pirate.

Maxi was a peaceful pirate, who only used violence in order to plunder the ships which came into his way, but he never sank them or killed the people aboard.

Maxi was an expert fighting with nunchakus, a Japanese traditional weapon consisting of two short and heavy sticks linked by a chain. As if this wasn't enough, he moved with ease in four different styles of martial arts.

**...**

A rumour began to circulate around Ryukyu.

It was about a giant human-like monster, who held an enormous axe and destroyed whole cities. He was known as Astaroth, and he was said to have been created by an evil priest, using the power of Soul Edge. The creepiest stories talked about a group of creatures which looked half lizard-half man and travelled along with Astaroth, and they didn't leave a single person alive where they walked by.

Maxi, anyway, didn't believe in monsters, giants or "lizardmen". He had always thought that all the rumours had been made up by someone in an attempt to put an end to the boredom of the village.

At least, that was what he believed until that night…

**...**

Maxi and his crew had just come back from their last journey. In the early morning, their ship arrived at Ryukyu's docks. The crew began to unload the cargo and take it to their secret basement, while the whole village was asleep.

Meanwhile, as they used to do, Maxi and Kyam sat on the beach looking at the sea.

They had been relaxing there for a few minutes when they heard a terrifying scream coming from inside the village.

They ran towards it and arrived in time to see a few men covered in armors setting fire to the shabby houses of Ryukyu. They were sacking the village.

Maxi and Kyam reacted quickly and ordered their men to stop unloading the ship so they could help them to protect the village from the invaders.

During the following hours, Ryukyu became a chaos.

Houses in fire, people running…

Ryukyu didn't have any army, so it was all up to Maxi, Kyam and their crew.

At a certain moment during the battle, one of the invaders found the secret basement where Maxi's crew had hidden their booty.

Kyam saw how some of them went into it, so he decided to follow them and prevent them from stealing the treasures he and his crew had in there.

After hours battling, Ryukyu's forces managed to get rid of the invaders.

The remaining of them ended up running away taking anything with them. Some of the inhabitants of the village had died in the battle, but now it was over.

Maxi approached the body of one of the invaders and took his helmet off. On doing so, he saw something that made him to jump back.

The head of the corpse resembled that of a lizard.

So the rumour was true. Those invaders should be part of Astaroth's group.

Maxi remembered that the rumour said that the "lizardmen" didn't leave any survivors, but that was probably an exaggeration.

Maxi was thinking about all this when he noticed he hadn't seen Kyam since the beginning of the battle.

He looked for him among the remains of the battle. Finally, one of the crew members told Maxi that he had seen Kyam getting into their secret basement.

Maxi ran towards there, terrified, fearing the worst had happened.

His feelings that something awful had happened became stronger when he arrived there and found out that the entrance to the basement was open. Kyam wouldn't have let it that way.

Maxi entered the place and what he saw inside was more painful than all the blows he had suffered during the battle.

There, among scattered treasures and dead invaders, Kyam's body lay lifeless.

Maxi tried to reanimate him but it was too late. Crying, Maxi hugged what it was left of his brother. Now he knew what he was going todo. He should go after Astaroth and Soul Edge and destroy both of them. Previously, he had thought about it as a challenge. But now, it was a matter of revenge. Now, it had become something personal.


	5. Chapter 4: The Seong Dojo

Chapter 4: The Seong Dojo

Now we are going to meet the Seongs, a Korean family.

The head of the family, Seong Han-Myeong, had desired to become a warrior since he was a child. It wasn't just a question of vocation. He had a passion for it.

But Korea was a poor country, and where he lived there weren't any training places.

So, years later, when he was older, he decided to build his own dojo.

After that, generations of fighters had been trained at the Seong Dojo.

However, Han-Myeong was now an old man, he had got married and he had a 22-year-old daughter. Her name was Seong Mi-na, and she was so fond of fighting as her father was, but in Korea women were not supposed to be warriors. Because of that, she wouldn't be able to inherit the dojo when Han-Myeong died. Han-Myeong didn't have any male relatives, so he decided he would leave the dojo to his best student.

This student was Hwang, a fighter who was an expert with the saber.

Hwang was a handsome man and he was 32. Everybody in the dojo admired him. And Mi-na, although she would never admit it, was in love with him.

But she also hated the fact that Hwang could be a warrior and inherit the dojo just because he was

a man. Her greatest desire was to prove her father, and even her country, that a woman could become such a good fighter as a man could, or even better.

Meanwhile, Mi-na also had a suitor. Hong Yunsung was an 18-year-old youngster who was beginning his training at the dojo, but he had a great potential for his age.

Yunsung fell in love with Mi-na at first sight, but she thought of him as a friend, or even a younger brother.

**...**

One evening, Han-Myeong called for Hwang. Mi-na, who was a curious girl, approached them and heard their conversation secretly.

- Good evening, Hwang.

- Good evening, master.

- Hwang, as you already know, my will is to leave the dojo to you when I die.

- I know, master.

- But I want to be sure that I'm not wrong. Don't think I don't trust you, but… I'd like you to undergo a test. Just to be sure.

- What is it about, master?

- Have you heard about "the Sword of Heros"?

- No, master.

- It is said that it is the most powerful weapon in the world. Nobody knows where it is, but warriors all around the world are looking for it.

- You want me to…find it. Isn't it, master?

- That's right, Hwang. You are a smart man. But that isn't your best virtue. – said Han-Myeong pointing with his head at Hwang's saber, which was in its holster.

- But…how do I do it?

- Travel around the world. Talk with people. Fight against whoever gets in your way. Defeat them. In this way you'll be successful in anything you do.

- Should I go on my own?

- Of course. This is confidential.

- As you wish, master. I'll do it.

- That's what I like to hear, boy.

- When should I depart?

- I prefer you to do it this same night.

- As you wish, master.

- Get prepared very well. I trust you. And say goodbye to Mi-na before you leave. She appreciates you very much.

- I know, master. I'll do.

- You can go now.

Hwang bid farewell with a bow and retired to get prepared.

**...**

That night, Hwang was just finishing to collect his provisions in the armory.

He wanted to go to Mi-na's room and say goodbye to her, but when he was leaving the armory, he found her standing at the doorstep.

- Where are you going, Hwang?

- Eh... - Hwang doubted for a second. – I'll be away a few days. My mother is ill.

- Really? That's not what my father told you to do.

- What?

- I heard you. You are going in search of that sword.

- You did what? – Hwang was really upset. – Mi-na, you shouldn't have done it.

- But I did. You can't go, Hwang, please. It looks very dangerous.

- It's not your business.

- It is. Because I wouldn't put up with you never coming back.

Hwang

- Are you speaking seriously?

- Of course I am, idiot. – replied a embarrassed Mi-na.

- Oh, I didn't know... But… I have to do it, Mi-na. I can't disappoint your father.

- Yes, you can. Do it for me, please...

Hwang turned his back to Mi-na, after looking at her with a sad expression.

- I'm sorry. I can't.

Mi-na, disappointed, lower her head. On doing so, she saw a big halberd resting at her feet.

- I really like you, Mi-na. But…not that way. – explained Hwang.

- This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you. – said Mi-na.

Hwang, not understanding, turned around and was knocked unconscious.

Mi-na had hit him with the hilt of the halberd.

She had made a decision. A risky one, but she thought it was the right thing to do.

She wanted to prove her father and whole Korea, at once, that she was as worthy as any man was.

And to do so...she was going after Soul Edge.


	6. Chapter 5: Hephaestus' forge

Chapter 5: Hephaestus' forge

Hephaestus was the Greek god of fire and blacksmiths, among many other things.

There was a temple in the present Athens dedicated to this god. This temple was run by a man named Rothion, who was indeed a blacksmith. He spent most of his time forging different weapons and, occasionally, other ironworks. But he wasn't a very pious person…unlike his wife, Sophitia, and her little sister, Cassandra. The two women worshipped Hephaestus every single day.

Rothion and Sophitia had two children and they were quite a happy family. The weapons made at the temple were rarely used by them. They were sold or even used as decoration. However, Sophitia and Cassandra's father had been a powerful warrior while he was alive, and the two sisters had been trained by him, so they would be prepared if they had to fight.

Something they thought would never happen. But suddenly, their lives ceased to be as peaceful as they used to be, when a man appeared at the temple. A man with a hood covering his head and hiding his face.

**...**

- Can I help you, sir? – asked Rothion to the misterious man.

- I'd like...- said the hooded man with a soft and sinister voice. – I'd like a weapon more powerful than Soul Edge.

- Soul Edge? What is that?

- It doesn't matter. If the god you worship is as powerful as you claim him to be, he will give you what I'm asking for.

- But…

- It's very important. – interrupted the other man. – But there's no need to hurry. I know it takes a long time to make such a powerful weapon. So I grant you a year. But, if you don't manage to do it in that length of time…

The hooded man looked outside the temple, where Rothion's children were playing unworried.

- ...something bad will happen.

- Don't you dare even touch…

But before Rothion had finished talking, his interlocutor left the temple without saying a word.

**...**

That night, Rothion told Sophitia what had happened.

- Soul Edge? – exclaimed Sophitia. – No, not again!

- What happens? – asked a worried Rothion.

- Soul Edge is the most powerful sword in the world. People have looked for it for ages in vain. My father… – her eyes watered. – He died looking for it.

Rothion felt guilty and hugged her wife strongly.

- I'm sorry, Sophitia. I'm really sorry.

- Don't worry. I thought I got over it, but... Well, never mind.

- But, Sophitia...that's not the worst thing. That man said that if I don't manage to do what he asked me to do… He said he would harm our children.

Sophitia changed her face when Rothion said that.

- This can't be happening!

- Calm down, honey...Hephaestus will help us.

- No, Rothion. – said Sophitia. – Hephaestus' weapons are very powerful, but Soul Edge is just too much.

- What shall we do then?

- There's something we can do. – answered Sophitia. – There is a sword which may defeat Soul Edge. Nobody knows where it is either. But finding it…is our only hope.

- What sword is that?

- It's called...Soul Calibur.


	7. Chapter 6: Talim, the priestess

**Chapter 6: Talim, the priestess**

Talim belonged to a tribe in Southeast Asia, which worshipped the wind as a deity.

The main feature of this tribe were its priestesses, who were able to purify evil.

Talim was one of them. In fact, she was the youngest one, at the age of 16.

As usual in our story, the tribe had a peaceful existence until a sudden and horrible happening put an end to it.

On this occasion, it was a seaquake which bursted in the shore where the tribe was settled. One of the priestesses had foreseen it a while before it arrived, so the tribe tried to organizedly leave the shore. Those under 18 years old were the first to be evacuated, and Talim was ordered to lead them because she was the oldest among them. But before any other person in the tribe managed to run away, the seaquake broke.

So the only survivors of the natural disaster were the children, and Talim in charge of them.

They sheltered in a watermill which was built over a mighty river.

As time went by, they managed to recover their peaceful lives. Talim was very good acting as everyone's mother, because she was quite mature for her age.

But after all, to err is human, and one day Talim made a mistake.

One of the kids moved too far away from the mill.

When Talim realized, she went after him very worried. When she found him, he was behaving in a very strange way, and he had a mysterious glare on his eyes. At first, she didn't place importance on it, but she was wrong.

That night, the boy attacked one of the other kids without any provocation.

Talim managed to move them apart, but she realized that the boy wasn't the same anymore.

She didn't know yet, but that boy had the Evil Seed inside him.

Fortunately, Talim's skills as a priestess were enough to heal the boy and bring him back to normality. But she was still worried. That thing had only happened to a kid, but it would have been much worse if it had happened to several of them or even to herself.

Talim knew something was wrong in the outside world. She wanted to go out and find the source of that evil energy, but at the moment, she had to take care of the kids.

She wanted to purify all that energy. But she couldn't. Not yet.


	8. Chapter 7: The Sorels

Chapter 7: The Sorels

The Sorels were an aristocratic family from the French city of Rouen.

The head of the family was a respected doctor, who also had skills on swordfighting.

His only son, Raphael, was very interested in the sword, not so much in medicine.

However, his father wanted to educate him in both disciplines, so Raphael grew up among swords and medicaments.

That was the funny part of Raphael's life, but his duties as a noble were really boring.

He had to attend tedious meetings and feasts with guys wearing wigs he didn't know and didn't want to know.

But as he grew up he became more mature and he accepted that being a noble had both privileges and responsibilities.

Raphael gradually gained an important position in French aristocracy…but everything fell down one tragic night.

**...**

When he was 20, Raphael attended a feast like any other. The feast was hosted by a reputed weapon dealer who was a lifelong friend of the Sorel family. Raphael, who was very interested in weapons, asked the host to show him his merchandise. He agreed, but none of them took into account that the merchandiser had drank too much.

He was showing Raphael a gun when he began to fire at will as if it was something funny, disregarding whether he might hit his guest.

At first, Raphael thought it was a joke, but when a shot brushed his head he became afraid.

Raphael grabbed one of the swords from the merchandise and asked the host to drop the gun, but he was too drunk to comply with his request. So Raphael tried to take it from him, starting a struggle.

But, before he could realize, he had stabbed the merchandiser with a rapier, and their families were watching them from the door. They might have been attracted by the gunshots.

Raphael tried to explain what had happened, but no one believed him.

Raphael's parents didn't know what to think, because Raphael's version was too farfetched.

Meanwhile, most of the people in the feast believed Raphael had killed the host in order to steal his merchandise, and the gunshots they have heard had been an attempt of the merchandiser to protect himself.

Finally, the official version was that Raphael had murdered the noble.

**...**

Killing a noble was punished with life imprisonment or even capital punishment, but as Raphael was a noble himself, he couldn't get that kind of sentence. It would tarnish aristocracy's image. So they made it look like an accident, but Raphael didn't get rid of his punishment. He was banished from his family, and therefore, from aristocracy.

Raphael's life passed on from being full of comforts to being full of hardships.

He had to beg in order to eat during the next eight years.

But then, a young girl named Amy found him lying in the street.

She had just lost her parents, who were rich, and had inherited a fortune. But she felt really lonely.

Amy needed a fatherly figure and Raphael needed a life, so they helped each other. Raphael adopted Amy (or maybe Amy adopted Raphael) and he finally came back to a luxury life.

Far from his father, Raphael devoted himself to swordfighting, his true passion. He instructed Amy in that discipline too. As time went by, Amy became Raphael's most beloved thing, and vice versa. But happiness wouldn't last forever this time either.

**...**

Four years after Raphael adopted Amy, the Evil Seed was released.

Raphael and Amy became infected by it.

Raphael had a strong soul, but his tragic life had hardened his heart. He was able to take control over himself while he was possessed, but he couldn't get rid of it.

Amy was much more vulnerable. Raphael did what he thought was the best for her: he locked her in their house, where she couldn't harm nor be harmed.

Inside Raphael remained a little bit of goodness. And that was enough for him to make a decision. He was going to find and destroy Soul Edge, the Evil Seed's source, so Amy and he could be happy again.

But before that, the evil inside him had something to do.

One morning, whole France woke up startled when all the members of its aristocracy, even the Sorels, were found dead, with just a thin cut in their necks, caused undoubtedly by a rapier.


	9. Chapter 8: Ivy's sword

Chapter 8: Ivy's sword

The Valentines were a British couple with a great economic power.

They were respected and admired by everyone who knew them, but they had a problem which may endanger their social status: They weren't able to have children.

However, the proud Lord Valentine wouldn't allow that to tarnish his image. And fate decided to help him. One morning, while he was walking down the beach, he found a baby girl who had been abandoned. He adopted her and made it look like if she were his and his wife's biological daughter. They named her Isabella, but they fondly called her Ivy.

**...**

Lord Valentine had amassed most of his fortune by means of his alchemy studies, which Ivy also studied during all her childhood and part of her adult life.

Through his research, he found out everything about Soul Edge, the Sword of Heros.

Lord Valentine was very interested in the manufacture of weapons, and Soul Edge could be a good piece.

He became obsessed with finding it up to the point of neglecting his health and he died before Ivy came of age.

Ivy's mother took charge of her, while she continued studying alchemy.

**...**

When Ivy was 30, her mother became seriously ill.

At deathbed, she confessed to her daughter that she was an adopted child.

But Ivy didn't have any interest in finding her biological parents..

She was focused on her research, trying to create a powerful weapon, just as her father had tried during his whole life.

**...**

Two years later, Ivy managed to do it. She made a very special sword. This sword's blade was composed of many pieces forming a chain, which came together and apart at the owner's will, making it look as if the sword was alive…like an iron snake.

Once she had managed to fulfill her father's first goal in life, she decided to go after the second one. And that was no other than finding Soul Edge.


	10. Chapter 9: Bitter memories

Chapter 9: Bitter memories

Rock. That was the name by which everyone knew that strange man who had been washed ashore unconscious one morning on the beach, when he was a young boy.

When they managed to wake him up, he didn't remember anything prior to the moment he opened his eyes. He didn't know even his own name.

But, without being aware of it, he had achieved something historic. He had been the first stranger to step on the New World, which would be discovered by Spanish explorers years later and named America.

**...**

Rock had been found by a native tribe.

Firstly, they thought he was an enemy, and they tried to kill him.

But then, a kid whose name was Bangoo stood up for him. He said he hadn't seen that man doing anything bad, and he convinced the men of the tribe to accept Rock as one of their own.

Rock appreciated what Bangoo had done for him, and soon the kid became the main link between Rock and the tribe.

Bangoo helped Rock to learn the customs of the tribe.

After a few months, Rock was completely a part of it.

**...**

One night, a wild jaguar came into the tribe's camp.

It was hungry and it was looking for food. Human food.

The whole tribe suddenly woke up when they heard the desperate screaming of a child.

The jaguar had leapt on the hut where Bangoo's family lived.

Before someone could do anything, Bangoo's parents had been fatally wounded by the animal.

Bangoo was about to share the same fate but, at that moment, Rock pounced on the jaguar.

After a fierce fight, Rock managed to knock the jaguar out. Just with his bare hands.

From that moment on, Rock's life changed completely.

On the one hand, he decided to take care of Bangoo. On the other one, the tribe's hunters' chief had seen the whole fight against the jaguar, and he knew that Rock was perfect for joining them.

Rock was forced to go through a hard training, but he became the tribe's stronger and most powerful man. Everybody said his muscles were as hard as a rock, and so he earned his nickname.

**...**

Rock had managed to be a happy man living amongst the tribe. But, of course, something would happen which would endanger his happy life.

The tribe's medicine-man (who was not much more than a doctor) had prepared a potion which he thought would be helpful for regaining memories, and Rock was the perfect guinea pig.

So, one night, Rock drank the potion. At first, it didn't seem to work.

The medicine-man was very disappointed, and Rock went to sleep like any other day.

But the potion did, in fact, work.

That night, Rock had a dream. It was a vague dream, but it looked quite real somehow.

He was in somewhere like a ship's hold.

Suddenly, two men entered in and started looking for something, not seeing him. They finally found what they were looking for. It was a sword with an eye in the middle of its blade. A living eye.

The two men left the hold.

At that moment, he heard two gunshots. He didn't know why, but that sound made him feel really sad.

Rock decided to go on deck to see what had happened.

He stuck his head out slightly so nobody could see him. A pirate had just killed a man and a woman, and the pirate crew was surrounding them.

Then, something really strange happened. The pirates and the corpses vanished and Rock suddenly felt cold in his feet. He looked down and discovered the reason. His feet were underwater. The ship was sinking.

At that moment, Rock suddenly woke up in his hut, awaking Bangoo in the process.

- What happens? – asked the sleepy boy, who was now a teenager.

- Don't worry, Bangoo. It's just…a nightmare. Go back to sleep.

- Ok, but don't wake me up again. – complained Bangoo.

Bangoo lay in bed again but Rock remained awake for a while, thinking about the dream he had just had.

The couple which had been murdered by the pirate looked quite familiar to him…and for some reason, he felt really sorry about their death.

He decided that he'd better not think very much about it and soon after he fell asleep.

**...**

The next morning, Rock told the medicine-man about his dream.

When he listened to Rock's words, he smiled really pleased. He explained that he thought that it hadn't been a dream, but a memory. A memory brought back by the potion.

Rock wasn't pretty sure about that, but he decided to find out more, so he asked the medicine-man to test the potion one more time.

And that night, Rock dreamed again.

This time, the dream was clearer and more pleasant.

He was on the deck of the same ship he had dreamed of the previous night. He was looking at the sea, illuminated by the midday sun, leaning on the rail.

His ears weren't focused on the sound of the sea waves, but on the conversation between two people near him.

- Listen to me, Catherine. I had been looking for something like this for years. Now I've finally found it.

- But don't you think it could be dangerous?

- Come on, woman, it is not alive.

- I'm just saying that maybe it is not a good idea to carry it in here, so close to our son.

- Nonsense! With this I can make the deal of my life. There's nothing more to be said. I'm putting it in the held.

Rock then turned around and saw what was worrying Catherine so much.

The man was heading down to the held. And he was holding a sword. A sword with an eye in the middle of its blade. The same sword that would be taken away by pirates that same night, not before killing the couple which had just argued.

Rock was lost in thought when the woman approached him and said:

- William, son, lunch is almost ready.

Once again, Rock suddenly woke up alongside Bangoo, back in America, in the present.

Fortunately, this time Bangoo remained asleep.

Now Rock remembered everything.

The couple arguing on the ship were his own parents, who would be killed by Cervantes, the pirate, that same night, just in order to get the sword which had excited his father so much.

And, what is more, Rock had had a real name. His name was William. William Adams.

He felt really furious.

The thought of Cervantes in front of his parents' bodies broke his heart.

Rock decided he had to do something.

He was willing to go in search of the pirate and the sword. His greatest wish at that moment was to kill the man who had murdered his parents, and to recover the treasure he had stolen from them.

With all these thoughts in his mind, he looked at Bangoo, who was quietly sleeping.

But that didn't make him doubt about his will. On the contrary, he was motivated by the fact of having someone to come back with when he fulfilled his goal. Someone to be happy with.

Rock was determined. Nothing could stop him.

Nothing...but the huge ocean separating him from the continent where the sword presumably was.


	11. Chapter 10: Rebelliousness

Chapter 10: Rebelliousness

Hwang woke up in the armory the next morning after being knocked out by Mi-na.

He stood up feeling really confused and left the armory, which was placed outside the dojo.

The sun was rising. Everybody must have still been sleeping at the dojo.

Feeling dizzy, and without remembering what had exactly happened, he entered the dojo and he headed towards the kitchen, in order to get something to eat and try to remember what had happened the night before.

But, to his surprise, he found out that the kitchen had been emptied. The cupboards were open and the remaining food was scattered all over the place, but most of it had disappeared.

At that moment, Hwang started to remember. He remembered that the last thing he heard before being knocked out was Mi-na saying: "This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you".

And then he started to connect the events that had taken place.

Just to confirm his suspicions, he went back to the armory. One of the weapons was missing, just like he had thought. In particular, a halberd.

He just had something left to check in order to develop his theory.

He headed to Mi-na's bedroom and went in, at the risk of finding her inside and having to put up with one of her tantrums.

But like he had anticipated, the room was empty. Mi-na was gone, and so were her belongings.

Undoubtedly, Mi-na had escaped from the dojo. In order to do so, she had taken a weapon, some food and all her belongings. Hwang didn't know why she had done that, but the fact that she had listened to his conversation with her father made him think that she was going to do something crazy and go to find Soul Edge herself.

He immediately headed to Mr. and Mrs. Seong's bedroom.

He knew that the owner of the dojo would be really upset if awakened so early. He wasn't one of those demanding masters who trained themselves until their death and wanted their pupils to work hard all day. He was rather permissive. He himself didn't wake up until midday, and his pupils had a right to rest twelve hours a day at the most and could choose when to do so.

But the situation was really serious. It was all about the master's daughter. He would understand.

Hwang arrived at the Seong's bedroom door, he hesitated for a second and finally he knocked it with his knuckles.

He didn't get any answer, so he insisted. Still nothing.

He was about to enter the room when he heard a voice behind his back.

- What are you doing?

Hwang turned around. It was Yunsung, the boy who liked Mi-na.

- I need to talk to the master. But it's not your business. Go back to your room or get out and start your training. – answered Hwang roughly.

- I don't believe the master will be happy with you bothering him at this time. – replied Yunsung, ignoring Hwang's order.

- I'm not happy with a brat sticking his nose in my business. – said a menacing Hwang, confronting Yunsung.

Both of them stood still staring at each other, defiantly.

- Maybe you should talk to Mi-na instead. – suggested Yunsung. – She's already awake. I've seen her bedroom's door open and she wasn't inside.

Hwang pursed his lips, losing his patience.

- It's just a piece of advice. – ended Yunsung, before leaving with steady steps.

Hwang waited for him to get far enough and entered the Seong's room.

At that very moment, Han-Myeong was getting up, while his wife remained asleep.

The two men didn't react for some seconds, until the master finally spoke.

- May I ask what is it that you are still doing here? – whispered the master in an angry mood.

- Eh...

- Wait for me outside. This isn't a good place for talking.

Hwang bowed and retired, closing the room's door.

**...**

- Mi-na did...what? – exclaimed Han-Myeong when Hwang explained what had happened.

- I'm sorry, master. I should have done something else to prevent her from leaving, but she caught me by surprise.

- What could the reason be for that rebellious behaviour?

- I don't know, master, but maybe…

Hwang stopped talking.

- Yes?

- You will see...she confessed to me that...she didn't want me to risk my life in such a dangerous task. Maybe she decided to go in my place.

Han-Myeong was thinking about it when a voice interrupted them. A disgusting voice, which was unfortunately familiar to Hwang.

- That is absurd. – interrupted Yunsung, getting out of his hiding place, where he had been listening to their conversation.

- Hong Yunsung! – the master scolded him. – This was a private conversation!

- Your daughter listened to one, why can't I? – replied an insolent Yunsung.

- Boy, you'd better get away before I slap your face! – exclaimed Hwang.

- Calm down, Hwang. – asked the master. – That's not what we do at this place.

He talked to Yunsung.

- Your punishment will be to clean up the weapons of the armory, during this whole week. And you'd better start now if you don't want it to be this whole month.

- What are you going to do regarding Mi-na? – asked Yunsung, ignoring the master's words.

- Are you deaf, boy? – yelled Hwang. – Out of my sight!

- I'm not going anywhere without knowing what you are going to do. Because if you don't go after her…I will.

- Ha! – laughed Hwang, sarcastically. – It would be a hard task even for me, so imagine for a little stupid boy like you.

- Enough! – yelled the master this time. - Yunsung, get out of here or the consequences could be really disgusting.

Yunsung didn't change his defiant face.

- All right. I get out.

Yunsung quickly headed to the armory. But he wasn't going to clean up the weapons.

He searched among the many weapons and he found what he was looking for. Hwang's favourite saber, which he always used on practices and displays.

He picked it up, sheathed it and he left the dojo, managing to prevent Hwang and the master from seeing him.

He didn't even take any supplies. He was determined and very self-confident, and he thought he could survive at his own means.

Mi-na could be the master's daughter and she could be in love with Hwang, but there was something she had in common with Yunsung. Rebelliousness.

Yunsung was going to find the girl he loved. At all costs.


	12. Chapter 11: Blood oath

**Chapter 11: Blood oath**

Before starting to look for a new crew, Maxi had something left to do regarding his brother. He had to bury him.

He organized a funeral, which was attended by all the inhabitants of Ryukyu, who weren't a lot of people.

It was a short, simple and emotional ceremony. Each one of the attendees left a flower on Kyam's grave, but Maxi wouldn't be satisfied with that.

He knelt in front of his brother's tombstone, holding the sword Kyam always used while he was alive. Maxi cut his left palm with the sword, making a long but superficial cut, thus spilling his blood all over the flowers left by the other people. At that moment, he swore to get rid of Astaroth and Soul Edge. He had made a blood oath.

All the people left the cemetery, but Maxi stayed behind. Suddenly, he heard a sinister voice behind his back.

- You are going after Soul Edge, aren't you?

Maxi turned around and saw who was talking to him. But he couldn't see his face, because it was covered with a hood.

- It's not your business. Who are you? – yelled Maxi.

- Don't go. Or you will only achieve a grave beside your brother's. – said the mysterious man, quietly.

- So what?

- And I would treat that wound. It may become infected.

Maxi looked his bloody hand and, when he raised his eyes, the man had disappeared.

**...**

But a stranger's words wouldn't calm down Maxi's thirst for revenge. So he headed to the village's inn in order to recruit some men.

However that wouldn't be an easy task.

Soul Edge was the most fearsome weapon in the world, so not many people would dare to go after it. And most of those who did were ruined sailors with nothing to eat whose only wish was to die with honour.

After five exhausting hours at the inn and having recruited only three men, who would join the 13 of Maxi's previous crew, the pirate was about to give up and put to sea with as little as he had.

But then, a man wearing a ninja suit and a mask covering his face approached him.

- Is it you who is looking for a crew?

- I was. But there are only cowards and people wanting to die in here.

- I don't want to die, and by no means I am a coward.

- Are you offering yourself to join me?

- I'm offering myself to help you. Better said, I'm offering ourselves to help each other.

- Who are you? Where have you come from?

- I call myself Yoshimitsu. And I want to destroy Soul Edge, just like you.

- Why?

- I belonged to a ninja clan. A very powerful clan. But one night, a warrior wearing a blue armor arrived at our hideout, and he killed most of us. Fortunately, I managed to survive. But I lost a lot of friends and fellows. And that warrior killed them all…using Soul Edge.

- So…somebody has already found it?

- That's what it seems. But that won't prevent people from all around the world to go after the sword.

- And...why do you want us to help each other?

- There is strength in numbers. And I know you have good intentions. Not like many others, who just go after the sword in search of power.

- It's okay. But I need to check what you can do. I can't accept you just because you told me your story.

Maxi never knew what happened, but just a second later he was on the floor, being held against it by Yoshimitsu.

- All right, all right! You're in! – moaned Maxi, with his face touching the floor.

Yoshimitsu let him go and, without saying any more words, he left the inn.


	13. Chapter 12: Sisterly arguments

**Chapter 12: Sisterly arguments**

- My feet hurt.

- Nobody has forced you to come, Cassandra.

After the menacing visit of the hooded man, Sophitia had decided to go after Soul Calibur, the only sword in the world which may fulfill his requirement: Being capable of beating Soul Edge.

Undoubtedly, it wouldn't be a short journey.

Her only help could be Taki, a ninja who had helped her father in his quest of Soul Edge. Furthermore, she had brought his corpse back to Greece.

But the only thing Sophitia knew about Taki was that she trained herself at a temple…in Japan.

Her first step would be to go to the seaside and try to hire a ship, but it would be difficult to find somebody who would sail a boat from Central Europe to the Far East.

Sophitia had planned to go on her own…but Cassandra wouldn't allow that.

- I couldn't let you go on your own. – replied Cassandra, limping behind her sister. – If your useless husband had come with you… Ok, he's a blacksmith, but he's kind of too weak…

- He had to stay at home and take care of the children, Cassandra.

- I could have done that.

- You? In charge of those two? I'd like to see it. – said Sophitia ironically. – You should better try to take care of yourself first.

Cassandra grumbled.

- You're almost 22. You should grow up at once.

- Sophitia, I have come to take care of you. I can't let you go after a sword to world's end on your own, can you understand that?

Sophitia turned around and smiled at her sister.

- I guess you're right, Cassy.

- I always am. – said proudly Cassandra.

The two sisters laughed.

- By the way, where are we going? – asked the younger sister, as they started walking again.

- Japan. – answered Sophitia.

- Sorry…what?


	14. Chapter 13: Adrift

**Hello everybody! Before you read this chapter I want to ask you something, specially to those who have read and are willing to read the whole fic. How often do you want me to upload a chapter? I've translated some chapters in advance after this one, so I have all of them "in stock". I could upload one chapter a day if you want me to, maybe even more, but I suppose it may be too much for you. So, I leave the choice up to you. If I don't get any answer, I'll continue uploading a chapter each two or three days. Thanks for reading!**

**Chapter 13: Adrift**

Rock told the whole tribe about his memories and his intentions, but most of them thought the same way. The sword was overseas. He would never find it.

Only two people believed in Rock: Bangoo and the medicine-man.

The latter had an idea.

Rock had talked about a huge wooden structure which was able to float. According to Rock's memories, a "ship".

The medicine-man thought they could build their own ship so that Rock could sail to sea.

It seemed a good idea to Rock so they decided to put it into practice.

The medicine-man was a very intelligent man and he was able to design the ship's structure, and Rock was strong and tough enough to cut down a big amount of trees in a short time.

However, two men and a teenager aren't enough people to build a ship, even if they are very strong or intelligent.

They were trying to convince the rest of the tribe for days, but everybody believed that it was one of the medicine-man's crazy ideas, which scarcely ever worked.

So they decided to build a raft instead of a ship, big and resistant enough to bear Rock's weight.

Bangoo was in charge of looking for fruit and other supplies which Rock would take with him on his trip.

They didn't know how much time the trip could last, so they made a fishing gear so Rock would never lack food.

Undoubtedly, the biggest trouble would be the water, though.

They didn't have any container big enough to store all the water Rock would probably need.

Their only hope was rainwater, since the weather was very rainy in that area.

It rained about once every three days, and the rains were quite heavy, so maybe a strong man like Rock would be able to live on them.

It was very risky, but Rock was determined to find that sword, and that was his only chance.

Bangoo and Rock said goodbye to each other with watery eyes. The medicine-man wished Rock luck and gave him an amulet, consisting of a wooden cross, which Rock put around his neck.

The three of them pushed the raft onto the sea and Rock got on it, holding all his supplies, the fishing gear and the axe he had used to cut down the trees, to use it as a weapon if necessary.

He also took a long and thick branch with him to use it as an oar.

When the raft was far from the beach, and it appeared on the horizon, Rock looked for the last time at the place which had been his home for almost ten years.

He was determined to come back someday, with Soul Edge under his arm and having killed his parents' murderer.

**...**

However, Rock's trip wouldn't be as long as he had expected.

Two weeks after leaving America, after eight days and seven nights of untiringly rowing, a ship came across his raft.

The ship stopped and a voiced yelled:

- Get him on board!

Rock was confused and, before he became aware of it, he was on the ship's deck.

He saw some men carrying the axe, the fishing gear and the supplies to the held.

Then, two men grabbed his arms and dragged him to the captain.

There was something weird about those men. Their skin was too pale and their hands were colder than the ocean Rock had just escaped from.

The men left, leaving Rock at the captain's feet.

- Who are you? – he asked. His voice was deep and anything but friendly.

- My name is Rock. – answered Rock, without raising his head.

- And where have you come from...Rock?

- Not your business. – an exhausted Rock replied.

- You're right, but now, you're on my ship. You've strong arms. You may join my crew.

- Sorry, but I can't. I have more important things to… - at that very moment, Rock raised his eyes and he saw something which astonished him.

Standing before him, wearing an elegant pirate suit and with his skin rotten, was the captain Cervantes.


	15. Chapter 14: Monsieur Fleuret

**Chapter 14: Monsieur Fleuret**

Monsieur Fleuret was one of the most reputed swordmasters in France.

He was now an old man, who had trained the greatest swordsmen during all his life. He had also trained Raphael and his father before him.

Monsieur Fleuret had retired and he lived in a big house outside Rouen.

**...**

One night, while he was cooking his dinner, someone knocked at his door.

He was surprised, because he didn't use to have visitors, much less at that time.

He opened the door and saw Raphael, who had a strange glare in his eyes and was holding a bloody rapier. Fleuret hadn't see him since he was a teenager, but he recognized him at first sight.

- Raphael! Nice to see you again! It's been a long time. What are you doing here?

- Good night, Monsieur Fleuret. I need to ask you something.

Raphael went into the house before Fleuret could give permission to him.

- What is it? – asked Fleuret while he closed the door, with a smile on his face.

- Are we alone?

- Yes, we are. – answered Fleuret happily. Then he spotted the blood in Raphael's weapon and his face changed.

- I'm glad to hear that. Nobody can know about this.

- Just say it. You are scaring me. – said Fleuret while serving dinner.

- Have you heard about Soul Edge?

- The Sword of Heros? Yeah, of course.

- If you know as much about it as I do, you'll know it isn't a common sword. It has his own will, and it can destroy the people's.

- I've heard something about that.

- I have investigated. The sword releases an energy called the Evil Seed, which can possess weak people turning them into bloody killers.

Fleuret listened to Raphael's words carefully.

- So...I have a daughter. An adopted daughter.

- Is that true? – exclaimed Fleuret, recovering his smile. – I'd like to meet her.

Raphael laughed coldly.

- That's great, because you are going to meet her…for a long time.

- Eh…really? – asked a confused Fleuret.

- Her name is Amy. She…she has become infected by the Evil Seed.

- What?

- Not only her. I'm infected too.

Fleuret looked at Raphael's bloody rapier with fear.

- Relax, Fleuret. – said Raphael quickly. – I can deal with it.

- So…what do you want from me?

- I'm going after Soul Edge so that I can destroy it.

- What? – yelled Fleuret. – Are you mad?

- That's the only way I can get rid of the Evil Seed. I have to do it for Amy. And I want you to take care of her while I'm gone.

- Me? Why me? What about your parents?

Raphael raised the rapier to reach the level of his eyes and looked at it with an evil smile.

- Don't want to know.

Fleuret gulped.

- Tomorrow in the morning I'll bring Amy here and I'll go. You have to make sure that she doesn't harm anybody or herself, all right?

- But…

- I trust you.

Raphael didn't wait for an answer and left the house and a frightened Fleuret.


	16. Chapter 15: A warning

**Chapter 15: A warning**

Edge Master had decided that Kilik needed a little more training before going after Soul Edge. Kilik was trained by the master for almost a month in the temple's ruins. They only rested one hour to have lunch and eight hours to sleep.

Edge Master had always appreciated Kilik very much, but now that feeling was turning into love, as if he were his son. Kilik was the only person left to Edge Master and Edge Master was the only person left to Kilik. However, that was enough for both of them.

**...**

One morning, while Kilik was training with his staff, Edge Master observed him from a distance. Kilik had always been his best pupil, but in the last weeks he had become incredibly better.

Edge Master was lost in thought when he heard a soft but dark voice behind his back.

- You really love him, don't you?

Edge Master turned around, startled. A hooded man was talking to him.

- What?

- The boy. You love him.

- Who are you?

- That doesn't matter. I know you are going after Soul Edge.

- How do…?

- Doesn't matter. I'm here to warn you. You've already lost too many pupils. Losing him as well would be horrible, wouldn't it?

- I'll protect him with my life. I won't let anything happen to him.

- You can listen to my advice or ignore it, but you'd better think with your head and not with your heart. It's just a warning.

- Master! – Kilik yelled.

Edge Master turned around again to pay attention to his pupil.

- Who were you talking to?

- To... – Edge Master was going to point the hooded man, but he had disappeared.

Edge Master was really confused.

- Never mind. Go back to your training. Lunch will be ready in an hour.

- Ok, master.

Kilik went back to training and Edge Master looked around, trying to find any trace of the hooded man. He didn't succeed.


	17. Chapter 16: The woman in the mansion

**Chapter 16: The woman in the mansion**

Ivy had decided that the best way to find Soul Edge (or to do anything, in fact) was to gather information.

So she headed to the library in search of some books about weapons, but she didn't find anything useful.

Then she had an idea. If her father had been looking for Soul Edge for so long, there had to be some information at their home.

She examined every corner of the Valentine mansion. She found no great thing, but she did find a clue to follow. It was a small piece of parchment which had an address written on it with her father's handwriting along with the words "Soul Edge".

Ivy decided to go to that place.

**...**

When Ivy arrived there, she felt quite uncomfortable.

It was on a street outside the city. An isolated, dirty and deserted street, with no homes on it…but one.

At the end of the street there was a huge mansion, although it seemed to be abandoned.

That mansion was the place where she had to go.

An uneasy but determined Ivy headed to the gate and used the knocker.

After waiting for some seconds, the door was opened.

An old woman came out of the mansion. She didn't seem to know very much about weapons.

- Who are you? – asked the woman.

- My name is Isabella Valentine. I'd like…

- Valentine? You are Lord Valentine's daughter, aren't you?

- Yes, I am. You'll see, I…

- I'm sorry but I can't help you. Your father already got us into trouble enough when he was alive. Now that he's dead, I'd like to forget everything about that sword at once.

- But...

- Good evening, miss. – said the woman before slamming the door.

Ivy didn't know what to do. She needed to know what that woman had to do with Soul Edge, but she didn't seem to be willing to help her.

She decided to go back home and to do what she was best at: thinking.

Ivy stayed awake for hours that night, trying to find a way to get information from that woman.

Finally, she thought that missing hours of rest wouldn't help her, so she went to bed

However, something happened which would spoil any plan Ivy could have devised.

**...**

The next morning, Ivy went back to the woman's mansion to try to talk with her again.

It was too late..

This time, when she arrived at the street where the woman lived, Ivy was surprised to see that it wasn't deserted. On the contrary, there were a lot of people gathering around the mansion.

Ivy made her way through the crowd to see what had happened.

When she finally managed to do it, what she saw made her shudder.

The authorities were bringing a stretcher out of the mansion, which had a bloodstained dead body on it. It was the old woman.


	18. Chapter 17: Let bygones be bygones

**Chapter 17: Let bygones be bygones**

- Are you sure you want to do this? – asked Heishiro to his brother. – You've been a long time in here…

- I have to do it.

- I can go after Soul Edge on my own.

- No! – exclaimed Edgar. – It's a very difficult task even for two men, I can't let you go alone. Furthermore, he wanted both of us to do it.

- Ok, all right, do as you like.

Edgar had already made up his mind. He was going to close down the coliseum where he had been training hundreds of pupils for years. After fulfilling their training, the pupils always challenged Heishiro, but nobody had ever beaten him.

Edgar loved that style of life, even when they were attacked by warships from the Ming Empire. Whenever that happened, the Japanese Army always managed to win thanks, among other things, to the Mitsurugi brothers' fighting skills.

In times of peace, Edgar devoted himself to the coliseum.

Now, that was over, at least for the moment.

He had to find Soul Edge before the Ming Empire's men did, or the Japanese Army wouldn't have any chance to resist, even with the Mitsurugi brothers on their side.

So, the Mitsurugis set off.

**...**

Heishiro walked very fast. He was sure about where to go.

However, Edgar could only follow his brother.

- Where are we going? – finally he asked, after having walked for about an hour.

- During one of my journeys, I visited a man. He was investigating the most powerful weapons in the world.

- And therefore, Soul Edge. – Edgar understood.

- Yes. He surely had information about it. That will be our first step.

- Do you think he will want to help us?

Heishiro changed his face to a more serious one, but Edgar couldn't notice it as he was walking behind him.

- I don't think so.

**...**

Two weeks later, the Mitsurugis arrived at that man's house.

- Stay in here. – asked Heishiro to his brother when they were a few meters apart from the house. – I'll take charge of this.

- But…

- Please.

- Oh, it's okay. – Edgar agreed.

Heishiro headed to the door and knocked at it. A young woman, with European features, opened the door. She was holding a closed umbrella. When she saw Heishiro, she seemed to be very surprised.

- Wh…who are you?

- My name is Taichi Noara. – said Heishiro, who decided to give a fake name. – I'd like to ask you some questions.

- What for?

- I'm making an investigation and I think you could be very useful to me.

The woman doubted for a second.

- All right. Get in.

Heishiro entered in the house and the woman closed the door. At that moment, she unsheathed a sword she was hiding in her umbrella and put its blade on Heishiro's neck. When Heishiro felt the steel on his skin, he stopped walking.

- What are you doing? – asked without turning around.

- I know who you are. – said the woman.

- Yeah? Who am I?

Your name is Heishiro Mitsurugi. – she answered. – And you killed my father.


	19. Chapter 18: The Money Pit

**Chapter 18: The Money Pit**

After having travelled for some days, Sophitia and Cassandra arrived at the Greek seaside.

They spent a lot of time trying to find somebody who would agree to take them to Japan.

Finally, a retired sailor said he would do it if they told him the reason of their journey, so Sophitia told him all about Soul Calibur, Soul Edge, the hooded man and his threat over her children.

- Those swords you're talking about... – said the sailor. – They must be quite valuable, right?

- Yes, of course. – confirmed Sophitia.

- Maybe...just maybe...we won't need to travel so far, ladies.

- What do you mean? – asked Cassandra.

- Have you ever heard about master Vercci?

Both women shook their heads.

- He is pretty famous around here. He was a reputed master, but he was too greedy. When he retired, he started to travel all around the world in search of treasures. He found some of the most valued jewels and weapons on Earth. They say his avarice was so big that he dug a deep pit in one of the Mediterranean islands, and he hid his plunder in there, to prevent anyone from finding it.

The two sisters listened carefully to the sailor's tale.

- Many have gone in search of the Money Pit, but none of them has come back.

Sophitia shuddered and Cassandra almost screamed.

- If those swords are so much powerful as you say, I'm sure Vercci went after them, and maybe he succeeded.

- Do you have any idea of where that pit is? – asked Sophitia.

- Not exactly. However, I bet it's not so far as Japan is. – he laughed.

- Would you…help us to find it? – said Sophitia.

- I haven't done anything more exciting than fishing for the last three years. So…why not? Let's go! Right now!

- Are you serious?

- Of course. Follow me.

He headed to the harbor and Sophitia went after him.

- Sophitia! – yelled Cassandra. – Sophitia, didn't you hear the "none of them has come back" thing?

Sophitia ignored her.

- Sophitia!

Cassandra was forced to reluctantly follow her sister and the sailor.


	20. Chapter 19: One of mine

**Chapter 19: One of mine**

Just like he had said, Raphael took Amy to Fleuret's house early in the morning.

He carried her in his arms while she was sleeping, because now it was quite difficult to deal with her while she was awake.

Raphael knocked at Fleuret's door and he opened it a few seconds later.

Fleuret looked very tired, but he didn't seem to have just woke up. Raphael supposed he had stayed awake the whole night.

- There you have. – said Raphael, leaving her daughter in Fleuret's arms.

- Go in peace. I'll took good care of her.

- Take care of yourself too. I don't have to remind you why I'm doing this, right?

Fleuret shook his head.

- I don't know how much time I will be away. Probably months. Maybe a year.

Fleuret sighed

- Last chance, Raphael. Are you completely sure about this?

- Of course.

- Good luck, then. I'm doing it for Amy's good…and for mine.

Raphael held Amy's hand tight and finally he loosened it. Fleuret carried the girl inside his house leaving Raphael alone.

After gazing at the door for some seconds, Raphael got away with steady steps.

**...**

He hadn't gone much far away when he heard someone calling him.

- Raphael Sorel? – asked a soft voice, which made Raphael shudder.

Raphael turned around and saw who was talking to him. It was a man wearing a hood.

- What do you want from me?

- You are going after Soul Edge, aren't you?

Raphael didn't answer.

- You won't succeed.

- Why not?

- The power of that sword is too strong. It would bow you down.

- That power you say is already inside of me. – replied Raphael. – And I know how to deal with it.

The hooded man laughed.

- What is inside of you is just a little warm-up of the power inside the sword. Furthermore, you're wrong if you think that being possessed by the Evil Seed will make you more resistant to Soul Edge. Instead, it will make you more vulnerable.

- How do you know all that? Who the hell are you? – yelled Raphael, who was getting nervous.

- If you really love whom you call your daughter, you'll take care of her and keep her away from that sword. Some day, its power will waste you away, but you can hold on for a long time.

Raphael was confused.

- Believe me. I know because…you're one of mine.

At that moment, the hooded man looked at Raphael in the eyes. Raphael didn't manage to see anything else in his face, but in that man's eyes there was something unmistakable: the glare of the Evil Seed.

Suddenly, a crow passed flying by Raphael's head, cawing loudly.

Raphael was startled by it and fell to the ground.

The crow flew towards where the hooded man had been, but now he was gone.

Raphael stood up, while watching the crow flying away. Then he thought something. He didn't have any idea where to go, but he had a hunch. That crow had to be the hooded man's. It couldn't have appeared by chance, and it was obvious that the hooded man knew a lot of things about Soul Edge.

So Raphael decided to follow the crow.


	21. Chapter 20: A difficult choice

**Chapter 20: A difficult choice**

Rock had accepted to join Cervantes' crew.

That way, he would be close to his two goals: Cervantes himself and Soul Edge. Rock didn't know if the pirate had the sword, but he was sure that Cervantes would go after it if he hadn't it yet.

Rock soon learned, talking to his fellows, what had happened to them.

Cervantes died in action and he was resurrected by Soul Edge. He soon realized that he now was a zombie unable to die. However, he had lost the sword in the hands of a warrior.

So he looked for a new crew and, when he thought he had found the appropiate people, he killed them all and used the power inside him to turn them all into undead zombies as well.

They couldn't die, but there was a way to finish them off.

If Soul Edge was destroyed, Cervantes and all the zombies would disappear along with it.

Because of that, Cervantes was desperately looking for the sword, to prevent anyone from destroying it.

Rock understood then that Soul Edge wasn't an ordinary weapon and that he had to destroy it to put an end on everything.

He also noticed something else. Something very disturbing.

Cervantes was checking that Rock was a competent member of his crew. If he was, Cervantes would kill him and turn him into a zombie. If he wasn't, he would kill him too and throw his body to the sea. Rock only had two choices: fleeing or finding and destroying Soul Edge before Cervantes made his decision. Neither of them seemed to be easy at all.


	22. Chapter 21: A letter

**Chapter 21: A letter**

Chai Xianghua, the daughter of the deceased Ming Empire general, didn't have any idea where to go to fulfill her mission.

Her father didn't have time enough to give her any hint. He just said she had to find Soul Edge.

She didn't have any other chance than looking through the Ming Empire confidential files her father had.

There was a huge amount of files, but most of them didn't concern Soul Edge. They were all about the endless wars between China and Japan.

The most recent file contained information about the last naval battle between both empires. It mentioned someone called Heishiro Mitsurugi, whose name was circled in red. Xianghua knew the meaning of that. That man was in the spotlight of the empire.

Ignoring the files about battles, Xianghua looked for something concerning Soul Edge. Hours later, she found a name which could have something to do with the sword: Edge Master.

Xianghua looked more carefully and noticed that it wasn't a file. It was an envelope containing a letter. The letter was addressed to Edge Master, and Xianghua's father was the sender, so she supposed that her father was going to send it but he died before.

Despite of her conscience talking to her about someone else's correspondence, she opened the letter, knowing her father would approve it, and read it:

_"Dear master:_

_I write to you to let you know that a new war between China and Japan is coming._

_However, this will be a war like no other. We have been ordered to go and find the very Soul Edge._

_I am starting to think that we are going too far. Soul Edge is a too powerful weapon and I think it should not end up in the wrong hands._

_I want to find Soul Edge myself and destroy it, to prevent it from harming any more people._

_I spent many years at your temple and I know you can help me._

_I am looking forward to your answer._

_Regards,_

_Chai Zhang"_

Xianghua understood everything now.

Some days ago, some officers of the empire had come to their home in order to search it . They were looking for an alleged traitor in their ranks. They probably found the letter and discovered that the traitor was her father, and because of that, Xianghua found him mortally wounded that night.

Xianghua looked where the letter was going to be sent. It was the Ling-Sheng Su temple, in Nepal.

That was quite far, but Xianghua should go there. She picked up one of her father's swords and set off.


	23. Chapter 22: Li Long

**Chapter 22: Li Long**

Edge Master fell to the ground. He had just been beaten by Kilik.

Kilik had managed to do it after around a hundred battles between the two, most of them during the last month, since the day the Evil Seed arrived.

Edge Master had never been so glad to lose a fight. He stood up laughing and hugged his pupil, full of proud.

Kilik had only managed to beat the master using the staff, while the master was an expert in all disciplines, but Kilik at least was the best at one.

**...**

The master allowed Kilik to rest what was left of the day, as a reward, and he offered himself to go hunting and prepare dinner that night.

Kilik accepted gladly, so he stayed alone at the temple. Despite Edge Master having granted him the day off, Kilik loved training himself, so he did so for about two more hours.

When he finished, he layed on the grass while waiting for the master.

It got dark and the master hadn't come back yet.

Kilik supposed the master had moved away chasing an animal, so he remained on the floor staring at the stars.

Suddenly, he heard a noise near the temple. Someone was approaching the temple.

- Master?

Kilik stood up and looked for the source of the noise, which was among some bushes.

He seemed to have seen something moving in there, so he moved closer.

He was about to move one of the bushes to see what was among them when somebody took him from behind and covered his mouth.

- Take it easy, boy. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to know where your master is.

The man uncovered Kilik's mouth.

- Who are you? – asked Kilik. – Why are you doing this?

- Please, answer my question.

- I'm not going to say anything.

The man sighed.

- You give me no other chance.

The man pushed Kilik against a tree and he took out a nunchaku with a sharp blade in each tip, and put one of them on Kilik's neck, holding him against the log of the tree.

- Where is he? – yelled the man.

- Li Long? – said someone behind them.

The man turned around and saw Edge Master, who was carrying a dead boar on his shoulders.

The man let Kilik go and addressed the master.

- Hello, master.

- What's going on here? – asked an angry Edge Master, dropping the boar.

- I come from Ming Empire, in Chai Zhang's name. Vengo del imperio Ming, en nombre de Chai Zhang.

- Chai Zhang! You two were fellows when you were here, right?

Li Long nodded.

- How is he?

- He is dead. – said Li Long madly. – Ming officers killed him.

- What?

- He had written a letter to you. The officers found it and, of course, they didn't like what they read on it.

- What did it say?

Li Long looked at Kilik suspiciously.

- Is he reliable?

- Of course. Anything you have to say, he can hear it.

- It's okay.

Li Long told Edge Master and Kilik all about the letter.

- That's horrible. – said Edge Master.

- Yeah. – agreed Kilik. – But now there's one more reason to destroy Soul Edge.

- I must go. – said Li Long. – I asked for some days off for personal matters, but I have to be back at the empire in fifteen days, and it's a long way.

- It's ok. Take care. – bid farewell Edge Master.

- I'm afraid I…I will have to follow Emperor Ming's orders and go after Soul Edge for him, or I'll end up as Zhang. I really wish you will be luckier than me.

He shook hands with Edge Master.

Before going, he addressed Kilik.

- Sorry for the way I came in. We can't trust anybody.

- Don't worry, I understand.

- See you.

Once Li Long was gone, Kilik and Edge Master looked at each other, with fear in their eyes.

- Have a nice sleep tonight. – said the master. – We're leaving tomorrow.


	24. Chapter 23: The sword in the painting

**Chapter 23: The sword in the painting**

Ivy waited until the authorities and the onlookers left the old woman's mansion and went in to investigate.

The crime scene had been processed, so she wouldn't find any clue about the murder, but she was only interested in finding information about Soul Edge.

She was almost the whole day inspecting the mansion. There was nothing concerning Soul Edge among that woman's files. Ivy wondered what her father could have been looking for in there.

She was about to leave when a painting called her attention.

It depicted a man about 40 years old, wearing a pirate suit and holding a huge sword. A black sword with a wide blade and an eye in the middle of it.

She had seen that sword in her father's drawing. Now she realised it should be Soul Edge.

Ivy looked carefully at its nameplate, but this one didn't have the name of the painting written on it, but an inscription.

It said: _"To Joanne Stuart, from Cervantes de León"_.

That name was familiar to Ivy.

She thought she had seen in her father's files, but she didn't place importance to it because she hadn't connected it to Soul Edge.

Ivy hurried to go back to her own mansion, but when she got out of that place she came across something she hadn't expected. The authorities were surrounding her.

- What are you doing here, miss? – asked the agent who seemed to be in charge.

- I...

- There is a witness who claims to have seen this woman yesterday talking with the deceased woman, chief. – said another man.

- And they say criminals always return to the scene of the crime. – confirmed someone else.

- Come with us, please. – asked the chief to Ivy. – We have to ask you some questions.

The agents took a powerless Ivy with them, while they were watched by a man from a distance.

A hooded man.


	25. Chapter 24: Fixed course

**Chapter 24: Fixed course**

It was seven o'clock in the morning.

Maxi had gathered his whole crew, which was composed of former and new members. They were all at the harbor, waiting for Yoshimitsu, the ninja, who was late.

- Where can he be? – complained Maxi.

- We should leave without him. – said one of Maxi's most veteran crewmen. – I don't trust him very much.

- Reliable or not, he's much more prepared for fighting than most of you. – replied Maxi in an impudent tone. – We'll wait.

- Do we even know where are we going? – asked one of the new crew members.

- I don't know, I'll think about…

- We're going to Kunpaetku's temple ruins. – answered someone

It was Yoshimitsu.

- Kunpa…what? – asked Maxi.

- Kunpaetku was the priest who created Astaroth. You are going after him in the first place, arent' you?

- Yeah...

- Kunpaetku did his magical experiments in a temple. As you all know, he not only created Astaroth, the giant, but also a troop of lizardmen.

Some of the crewmen nodded.

- However, all the troop went out of control. Astaroth being their leader, they destroyed the whole temple with Kunpaetku inside it. We'll surely find something useful in there.

- Where is that temple? – asked Maxi.

- They say it's in a desert, in India, near Nepal.

- That's quite far. – complained someone.

- That's better than sailing without knowing where to go, right? – pointed out Yoshimitsu.

Maxi thought about it for a few seconds.

- Ok. We'll go there. We'll sail to China and there we'll see.

Yoshimitsu nodded as a sign of agreement and, without saying a word, he headed to Maxi's ship.

- Yoshimitsu! – yelled Maxi.

Yoshimitsu stopped walking.

- How do you know all that?

Yoshimitsu turned his head and he simply answered:

- I like stories.

Yoshimitsu entered the ship, leaving everyone else with the same thought: "Where has this guy come from?"


	26. Chapter 25: A night in the forest

**Chapter 25: A night in the forest**

Mi-na felt sorry.

Her stubborness had led her into an impossible mission. She didn't even know where to go.

It was at night. She was sitting on a log in the middle of the forest. She was crestfallen, drawing circles with a stick in the ground. Beside her, her pack with all her supplies. Nowhere to go.

She started thinking while she ate an apple.

For a moment, she thought she just had to go back home, to undergo the most embarrassing situation in her life and accept her father's terrible punishment.

However, her rebellious side had the "great" idea of walking aimlessly and asking people about Soul Edge until finding something out.

She was thinking about all that when a man who was walking by a nearby path approached her.

- Sorry, miss. Do you know where I can stay tonight?

- I don't know. – mumbled Mi-na without raising her head. – Keeping on this path you'll find a dojo, but it is 2 days walk from here.

- So…there are no people around here? – asked the man.

- As far as I know, you and me. – answered Mi-na while chewing the apple.

Before Mi-na could react, the man took out a little knife and grabbed her neck, almost making her choke.

He pushed her against a tree and put the knife on her throat.

- Gimme everything you have! – he yelled.

Mi-na spitted what she had in her mouth.

- I only have what there's in that pack, I swear. – said Mi-na shaking.

The aggressor kicked the pack. Two or three pieces of fruit rolled out of it.

- There's only food! Where's the money?

- I don't have any money. – cried Mi-na.

- It's okay. – said the robber. – You've asked for this.

- Please, don't hurt me. – begged Mi-na.

The robber put the tip of his knife on Mi-na's chest, just at the beginning of her cleavage. She didn't know if he was going to kill her or rape her, and she didn't know what she preferred either. However, before the man could do any of those things, someone pounced on him.

Mi-na breathed deeply after being released from that man's hand. Then she noticed what was happening.

On the floor, two men were fighting about the robber's knife. They were the robber himself and Yunsung.

A saber was near them, probably dropped by Yunsung during the fight.

At that moment, the robber managed to overpower Yunsung. He raised his knife but, when he was about to kill Yunsung, he was impaled with a halberd.

The man dropped the knife while Mi-na took the halberd out of his thorax. His dead body fell down on Yunsung.

Yunsung get rid of it quickly and stood up. He hurried to hug Mi-na, who was crying.

- Are you okay? – asked him sweetly.

- Yes. Now I am.

- It's okay. It's over.

Mi-na then realised she was hugging whom she thought of as her little brother. She slowly moved away from him.

- But I could've beaten him by myself . – said Mi-na with a much more confident tone and she smiled slightly.

- Yeah, I'm sure. – replied Yunsung, with a mocking tone.

They both laughed.

- Come on, let's eat something. – suggested Mi-na.

**...**

After they had dinner, they were talking for a long while, sitting on the log like a pair of old friends.

Mi-na was more confident with Yunsung by her side.

Then she realised that he had appeared from nowhere without explaining the reason.

- Listen, Yunsung. Why have you come? Did my father send you to get me back?

- No, he didn't.

- Hwang did?

- No. Hwang and your father are a little too busy worrying about your father and Hwang. – replied Yunsung angrily, despite of his joke. – It was my own choice, but I'm not here to get you back.

- You aren't? So then?

- If you want to go back, that's perfect for me. If you don't…I'll go with you, wherever you go. – confessed Yunsung, a little embarrassed. – Provided that you want me to, of course.

Mi-na smiled.

- Would you do that for me?

- Of course. – said him, looking at her eyes.

- I was thinking about going back, you know? Now you're here…I think I can go on.

They both hugged again.

- Well, I'm going to bed now. – said her. – It's been a hard day.

- It's ok. I'll stay awake a little bit more.

- Ok. Good night.

Smiling, she lay down on the grass. Yunsung remained a long time looking at her. He couldn't take his eyes off her. If something bad had happened to her…he didn't even want to think about it.

Finally, he started feeling drowsy, so he lay down near Mi-na and fell asleep.


	27. Chapter 26: The end of a journey

**Chapter 26: The end of a journey**

Heishiro had been tied to a chair by that woman who blamed him for her father's death.

The worst thing was that she was right.

The man who lived in that house when Heishiro visited it years ago probably was that woman's father, and it hadn't been a courtesy visit.

By then, Heishiro was looking for a sword which could defeat firearms, during one of his missions for Japan.

The investigation led him to that house, where he heard about Soul Edge for the first time.

Undoubtedly, he would find very useful files there , but the owner wouldn't give them to him willingly, so Heishiro challenged him to a fight.

Heishiro beated the man, mortally hurting him.

Heishiro never noticed it, but there was a little terrified girl watching the whole fight from under a table. That girl, whose name was Setsuka, would become the woman who now had caught her father's murderer.

- So...- said the woman while going around the room. - ...you've come back to check if you have left something, haven't you?

- You don't understand. – exclaimed Heishiro. – It's very important t…

- Shut up! – ordered Setsuka. – Nothing is so important as to kill an innocent man.

- I'm very sorry for what I did to your father… – apologized Heishiro. – …but we were on a fight, I couldn't have done anything else.

While distracting her with the talk, Heishiro was managing to slowly untie himself.

- You couldn't? Then I'm afraid I can't do anything but killing you too. – said Setsuka.

- If you want so much to kill me, why haven't you done it yet?

- That would be boring. – replied the woman. – Furthermore, you are surely looking for something really valuable. What is it?

- It's a...a sword.

- A sword? How can a sword be so worthy?

At that moment, someone knocked at the door.

Heishiro feared the worst. Edgar was going to fall into the same trap he himself had fallen into.

Setsuka was surprised, because she hadn't expected someone else to come. She headed to the door and opened it.

It was Edgar, indeed.

- What do you want? – asked Setsuka in a bad mood.

- You'll see, my brother came in here quite a long while ago. Has something happened?

- Ah, so you're his brother. – Setsuka smiled slightly. – Come in. We're having a little talk.

Edgar came in and Setsuka closed the door.

He went into the living room, where Heishiro was being held captive.

- Edgar! Don't! Go! – Heishiro tried to warn him.

However, it was too late. Setsuka took Edgar from behind and put her sword on his neck.

- Don't you dare hurt him...- said Heishiro.

- Or what? You'll tell my dad? – asked Setsuka ironically. – Oh, almost forgot. He's dead.

When saying that last two words, she pressed the sword stronger against Edgar's neck.

- You won't get anything this way. Let us go and we'll never come back. – promised Heishiro.

- I'm sorry. You shouldn't have come back yet.

From that moment on, everything happened really fast.

Heishiro untied himself completely and he tried to quickly reach his sword and save Edgar, but Setsuka was faster than him. She slit Edgar's throat and, by when Heishiro had unsheathed his weapon, Edgar was profusely bleeding on the floor.

Heishiro jumped on Setsuka, raising his sword, and then she opened her umbrella. Heishiro's sword ripped it, but when Heishiro managed to get rid of it, Setsuka was gone.

Heishiro hurried to his brother and knelt down beside him.

- Edgar!

Edgar was still alive, but he was choking on his own blood.

- Heishiro...- whispered Edgar, while Heishiro lifted his brother's head.

- Edgar, calm down...- said Heishiro, despite himself being about to cry. – Everything's going to be okay. I'm sure there is something in here…

- Heishiro. – interrumpted Edgar. – We both know I'm dying.

Heishiro sobbed.

- Edgar...

Heishiro was trying to convince himself that there was a solution , but he knew Edgar was right.

- Heishiro, don't give up. – mumbled Edgar. – Do it for Father.

Heishiro, despite being completely healthy, at that moment was more unable to speak than his brother.

- Go on...find that sword… – said Edgar. – …and when you succeed…I'm sure you will…go back home and take care of Mother….

Heishiro couldn't stop crying.

- …and let her take care of you.

The two brothers tried to laugh, but they couldn't.

- I'll take care of you two. – insisted Heishiro.

- I love you, brother. – said Edgar with his last breath. – I couldn't imagine a better end to my journey…than beside you.

- I love you too, Edgar.

However, his brother didn't hear it. Heishiro's sweaty bloody hands were holding a lifeless head now.

Heishiro left his brother's body on the ground with a moan of pain and he respectfully closed his eyes.

He would inspect the house the next morning, but now he couldn't even stand up. He wanted to forget it all and restart the game.

He was strong enough to defeat almost a whole army by himself, but he wasn't to accept that the journey of his best mate had come to an end.


	28. Chapter 27: The most vivid nightmare

**Chapter 27: The most vivid nightmare**

Talim awoke soaked in sweat.

She looked around. It was still at night. The kids of the mill were still sleeping.

She had had a terrible nightmare. However, the worst thing about it wasn't what she had dreamed, but how real it had seemed.

In her dream, two men went into a woman's house looking for information about a sword.

The woman had pending issues with one of those men. The part of the dream she remembered best was when the woman slit one of the man's throat and fled, while the other one tried to untie himself. For a moment, Talim wondered if that had really happened, but it couldn't be. She was a priestess, not a seer.

She thought it had just been a bad dream caused by the incident that had happened some days before and she fell asleep again.


	29. Chapter 28: Chance discovery

**Chapter 28: Chance discovery**

Ivy spent an hour convincing the authorities that her was innocent. Anyway, they told her to stay in the city, just in case they needed to talk to her again. She also had to pay a fine for breaking into the woman's house.

Ivy went back to her mansion in a bad mood. She needed to find out where she had read the name "Cervantes de León" before.

However, when she arrived there she saw her home on fire.

She hurried in and looked for the origin of the smoke. It was the library, where the fire was already quite spread.

It was impossible to extinguish it.

She closed the door in an attempt to smother the fire and she hurried to pick up everything in that house that she wanted to save.

She saved some food, her sword and her alchemy notes. She also could save some books she had taken from the library the day before.

Ivy put it all into a bag and left the mansion. Once she was outside, she couldn't do anything but look as her lifelong house was burnt to ashes.

Obviously, there was somebody who didn't want her to investigate Soul Edge.

That person had murdered the old woman and had set her library on fire. He probably was the witness who had reported her to the police.

She hated to admit it, but that person had been much more intelligent than herself. Now she didn't have any clue to follow.

At least, that's what she thought until he emptied her bag. Then, she noticed that it wasn't a bag. It was a baby sling. The baby sling her mother used when she was a baby.

However, that wasn't the amazing discovery . She had remembered where she had read Cervantes' name. It wasn't in her father's files. It was on the baby sling.

Its cloth had a golden embroidery on it. It said: _"Property of Cervantes de León."_


	30. Chapter 29: And their eyes met

**Chapter 29: And their eyes met**

Xianghua was walking along a path. She had been doing it for more than two months and she hadn't rested very much. She just stopped walking half an hour for each meal and six or seven hours to sleep.

She didn't know where the Ling-Sheng Su Temple was, but she did know where Nepal was. She decided that, once in there, she would ask someone for directions to the temple.

The way was really long and Xianghua felt really bored on her own.

Xianghua spent the time humming popular Chinese songs. She also thought a lot about what had happened two months before.

At last, something disturbed the monotonous journey.

She was walking when she heard a soft voice calling her from behind.

Hearing somebody after so much time alone pleased her, but the voice was quite eerie, and so was the fact that a stranger knew her name.

Xianghua turned around and said:

- Yes, it's me.

The stranger had a hood covering his head and a coat covering his body.

- You are Chai Zhang's daughter, right?

Xianghua then feared the worst. What if that man was a Ming officer? What if he was there to kill her, the same way her father had been killed by them? He wasn't wearing the empire's uniform, of course, but she couln't be too sure.

Xianghua didn't know what to say.

- You don't need to answer, I know I'm right.

Xianghua was starting to shake.

- That sword is too much powerful…and too much tempting. Ming's emperor is a fool if he thinks that any of his officers would give it to him if they found it.

The man laughed in a way which terrified Xianghua.

- If a Ming officer finds the sword, he will use it to come to power, killing anyone who gets in his way. Because of that, I suggest you not to go after Soul Edge.

- How do you know…?

Xianghua was interrupted by the sound of steps heading towards them. Somebody was walking through the bushes surrounding the path.

The girl looked at the bushes for a moment and when she looked back at the hooded man, he was gone.

Finally, someone appeared from among the shrubs.

It was a young boy, holding a sort of a stick taller than himself.

When the boy saw her, he turned around to talk to someone who was following him.

- There's nothing in here, master. It's just a girl.

- Just a girl? – Xianghua took offense.

The boy's master appeared, holding a trident. He was an old man but he had a well-shaped body.

- I'd swear there was a very powerful source of evil energy in here. – said the master. – Look at her eyes. She may be possessed.

The boy stared right at her pupils.

At first, he seemed to be looking for something. Seconds later, his face relaxed, but none of them looked away nor spoke.

A minute later or so, the master finally said:

- Well?

- There's no...there's nothing wrong about her eyes. – said the boy, still looking at her.

- Good to know it. – replied the girl, breaking at last their eye connection. – My name is Xianghua, by the way.

- Nice to meet you, Xianghua. – said the young man smiling. – I'm Kilik.


	31. Chapter 30: The sword's servant

**Chapter 30: The sword's servant**

Raphael followed the crow for almost a month.

A normal person probably wouldn't have been able to follow the animal for such a long time, but the Evil Seed made Raphael faster and more resistant, and it also improved his sight and orientation.

Thanks to that, Raphael only ate one piece of fruit a day and he only rested two hours a night.

At last, the crow arrived at a ruined castle. Raphael felt something when he arrived there. An evil energy which was connected to the one inside him.

Raphael hadn't noticed it, but the crow had taken him out of France and now he was in West Germany.

The bird disappeared among the castle's towers and Raphael decided to go in to investigate.

However, there was a wide moatfull of waterbetween him and the castle's door. He kept watch over it for some minutes and he didn't see anything dangerous in it, so he decided to swim across it.

He wasn't wrong and arrived at the other side safe and sound.

He decided to knock at the door, but the castle seemed to be abandoned.

The Evil Seed also made Raphael stronger, so he kicked the door and knocked it down, the subsequent crash causing a flock of crows to fly away from the castle.

Raphael silently entered the dark castle, holding his rapier uphigh**.**

He had never been in such a ghastly place.

The castle had very few windows. The dim light that came in throughthem made the desert corridors and rooms look really eerie.

There was nothing in good conditions in there.

All furniture was scattered and spoilt.

There were chains hanging fromsome walls. There were torches too, but they were all unlit.

Raphael went through a narrow corridor and arrived at a room which probably was the best kept.

There was a large table in the middle of the room and a huge painting on the wall on the other side.

The painting depicted a very tall man wearing a great armor and long blond hair, evidence of his probable German origin. He had a scar that went throughhis blue right eye, and he was wielding a huge sword…with an eye in the middle of its black wide blade.

Raphael soon realizedit was Soul Edge, but at that very moment he was hit on the head and knocked out.

**...**

When Raphael woke up, he believed he was dreaming, and that was no wonder.

He was chained up in a room where he hadn't been before.

Near him, there was a weird-lookingwoman stroking and talking to a crow.

Woman? Raphael looked at her more carefully and he realized that she was almost a teenager.

Scattered all over the floor were what seemed to be pieces of an armor.

However, what most made Raphael believe to be in a dream, was something onthe other side of the room. Inside a transparent chest, glowing with evil, was the very Soul Edge.

Suddenly, the sword's eye looked right at Raphael's, and he felt rage growing inside him. He had never wished so much to kill somebody.

The eye looked away and that feeling faded away**.**

It seemed that the girl who was talking to the crow didn't suffer the effects of Soul Edge.

Raphael then remembered the hooded man's words: "You're wrong if you think that being possessed by the Evil Seed will make you more resistant to Soul Edge. Instead, it will make you more vulnerable."

Raphael thought that maybe he could break the chains using the strength the Evil Seed granted him. He tried to do it, but he only called the attention of the girl.

- Oh! Look, Blacky. – said the girl to the crow, with a loving tone. – Our guest has awakened.

She smiled in a way that would have seemed innocent in any other girl, but it looked frightening onher.

- Who are you? – asked Raphael.

- He's handsome and strong. – the girl continued talking to the bird, ignoring Raphael. – He could be a good body.

The girl approached Raphael and caressed his chest. Her hand slidsoftly over his shirt as if she feared to damage what she was touching.

Raphael was petrified. He didn't know what to do.

She movedher hand up toRaphael's chin and raised his head to look at his eyes.

- There's already something of the sword in him. – she whispered, satisfied.

Not only the girl saw the Evil Seed's glare in the other's eyes. Raphael realized that she was also possessed.

- Why doesn't it affectyou? – yelled Raphael, pointing at the sword with a move of his head.

The girl didn't pay any attention to his words.

She whispered something to the crow and sent it to the sky through a window, as if it were a homing pigeon.

Then she did something even more surprising.

- Boss! I have a body in here!

The chestcontaining Soul Edge suddenly opened. The pieces of armor started shaking and they came together, making up a whole armor.

Finally, the sword got out of the chest**, **floating in the air as if being moved by invisible threads.

The armor moved as if there was a person inside it and it grabbed the sword.

The girl knelt before the armor.

- Are you sure? – said a deep voice, which seemed to come out from the helmet.

- I don't know, sir. – answered the girl, without raising her eyes. – He looks strong, but I don't know if he is worthy of the sword.

- Let's see...

The armor walked towards Raphael with unbelievable skill.

It put Soul Edge near Raphael's neck, but the sword's blade didn't touch his skin. Despite of it, Raphael started to scream out in pain.

The armor made the torture last some minutes and it finally moved the sword away from him.

- No, he is not useful.

- I apologize, sir. What do I do with him?

- Kill him.

- Can I…have fun? – asked the girl with a pretendedsmile.

- Do whatever you want, but I warn you: if he escapes,you'll be food for the crows.

The sword moved back to the chest**, **which magically closed.

The armor collapsed and its pieces became scattered again.

The girl looked at Raphael with an evil grin.

She approached him again and she softly bit his upper lip.

- I'll be back right away, sweetheart. – she whispered, making Raphael shudder.

The girl left the roomjumping for joy as a schoolgirl.

Raphael was alone with the sword and the pieces of armor now. He didn't see his rapier anywhere.

He had to do something, but…what?


	32. Chapter 31: The story of the sword

**Chapter 31: The story of the sword**

After burying Edgar with his own hands, Heishiro inspected the whole house where his brother had been killed.

He found very interesting information.

There were some documents which gathereda part of Soul Edge's story.

The sword was found by a British merchant, who lost it during a pirate attack.

The man who took the sword, Cervantes de León, would lose it too, in the hands of a German warrior named Siegfried Schtauffen.

He spread terror for some time wherever he went, while his soul was consumedby Soul Edge.

Time after, Siegfried managed to get rid of the sword.

At that time, both warrior and sword were missing.

Heishiro, only thinking about honoringhis father and his brother, decided to travel to Germany and to look for information about Siegfried.

It would be a long journey, but it would be worthwhile**.**


	33. Chapter 32: The owl

**Chapter 32: The owl**

After the hard night before, Mi-na and Yunsung woke up very relaxed.

They had breakfast and resumed their journey, talking about anything.

Yunsung felt better than ever and Mi-na was glad to have company.

However, after midday, while they were having lunch, Yunsung came down to earth for a moment.

- Hey, Mi-na...where are we going?

The girl had already decided where to go, but it was quite far from there, and she feared that if she told Yunsung about it he could go back and leave her.

- Doesn't matter, Yunsung. Trust me. – she said.

- But...

- Please.

Yunsung sighed.

- It's okay.

When Mi-na was younger, she had been in a temple in Nepal for a couple of years. There, warriors and fighters were father sent her there in order to fulfill her need for fighting, thus preventing her from becoming a fighter, which would have been frowned upon in Korea.

It didn't work, but Mi-na had improved her fighting skills a lot in that temple.

Mi-na had remembered that the master of the temple was known as Edge Master. He had probably something to do with Soul Edge.

They finished their lunch and started walking again.

**...**

Yunsung suspected that Mi-na was hiding something from him, but he didn't mind. He just wanted to stay with her and ensure she was fine. He would follow her wherever she went, as he had said to her.

However, when two people spend whole days together, arguing is inevitable.

One day, Mi-na saw a little white shape on the path. She approached it and discovered that it was an owl with an injured wing.

- Yunsung, look. It's an owl.

- So what? – replied the boy, still walking.

- It is hurt.

Yunsung turned towards her.

- What do you want us to do?

Mi-na, who seemed really worried, looked around.

- Can you go and look for a town while I take care of it?

- What? – asked an unbelieving Yunsung.

- We have to take it somewhere for its wing to be treated. – grumbled Mi-na.

- Mi-na, that sword you are looking for...I'm sure there are a lot of people after it. We can't waste our time on such a silly thing.

- Would you like to be abandoned on a path with a broken leg?

- Mi-na, that would be different.

- Why? Just because you are human and it isn't?

Yunsung snorted.

- Mi-na, that sword is probably causing a lot of deaths. People deaths and may be even animal deaths. Don't you think that is more important than an owl?

- If you care so much about that sword, then go on and look for it by yourself. – yelled Mi-na, while stroking the bird.

- If I even knew where to go… – replied him, raising his voice.

Mi-na looked at his eyes, defiantly.

- Ling-Sheng Su Temple, Nepal. That's where we're going.

- Nepal?

- Yes! Any problem? – she drew her attention back to the animal.

- No, Mi-na. You know it. – said Yunsung in a smoothest tone. – I told you I'm going with you anywhere. However, I'm not going to stop whenever we found an injured animal.

- If you're following me to Nepal, why won't you just look for a nearby town?

Yunsung sighed.

- Ok, you win. – Mi-na smiled when he said that. – But just for an hour. If after that time I haven't found anything, we go on, okay?

- Ok, it's fair.

- See you later. – said Yunsung angrily before leaving.

Mi-na didn't know why, but she couldn't stop looking at him as he walked away.


	34. Chapter 33: A tale and a coincidence

**Chapter 33: A tale and a coincidence**

Maxi, Yoshimitsu and the rest of the crew were already sailing the Sea of Japan towards China. While everyone did his job onboard, Maxi called Yoshimitsu to talk to him in private. They went to the captain's cabin.

- What do you want, captain? – asked Yoshimitsu.

- Where did you get so much information concerning Astaroth? – inquired Maxi plainly.

- I told you, I like stories. When I listen to one and I like it, I try to find out everything about it.

Maxi punched the table.

- That monster's troops killed my brother. Believe me, I have investigated him better than anyone.

- Okay, okay. I know the story because...Kunpaetku was my father. – admitted Yoshimitsu.

- What?

- When I was a little boy, my father was always travelling. He was a priest, and he told me and my mother that he was preaching all around the world. One day, my mother asked him to let us go with him, but he refused. That was when we started to suspect that he was lying. It got worse when he came back home with a scar on his face. He said he had just fallen and hit his face, but my mother didn't believe him. The next time my father travelled, my mother took me and we secretly got inside his ship. We hid in the hold and ate the crew's spare food. They believed rats did it.

Maxi listened carefully to Yoshimitsu's tale.

- After disembarking, we followed him for days. His crew didn't accompany him. They remained on the ship while he walked to India. My mother and I discovered that he was going to a temple where he made some experiments. That place was full of cages containing monsters. We had arrived at the worst moment. One of those monsters was Astaroth.

Yoshimitsu could see a look of hate on Maxi's face when he mentioned that name.

- The giant had been the result of experiments to create a human-like being. At first, Astaroth was servile with my father. He educated the monster as if it were a huge baby. Astaroth soon learnt what is necessary to manage in the real world, but…my father used Soul Edge to carry out his experiments. The sword was getting stronger and it became stronger than human will. It possessed my father and every monster, most of them lizardmen. Astaroth was possessed too. He got furious and destroyed the temple, thus killing my father and liberating all the monsters. My mother and I were able to escape. We decided to forget it all and we went back to Japan, along with my father's crew. Years later, when my mother died, I joined a ninja clan, until a man yielding Soul Edge arrived and killed most of us. Then I decided to investigate the sword. The only clue I had was Astaroth so, guided by the stories about he and his slaughters, I arrived at Ryukyu, where we met. That's all.

- But... – Maxi was confused. – Astaroth and the monsters were created in India. How did they get to Japan?

- I don't know. However, Astaroth is as smart as a man and much stronger. I'm sure he can get whatever he wants.

- Why did you lie to us before?

- I'm the son of the man who created the monsters which killed your brother. I thought you wouldn't want me on your ship. Now, I'm already on it.

Maxi sighed.

- Well…I guess that's enough. You can go.

**...**

The journey continued for some days, trouble-free.

However, when it was about to finish, something happened.

- Ship ahoy! – yelled the look-out.

Maxi hurried to look over the rail, and the same did his crewmen.

There was a ship near theirs, sailing in the same direction. It was a very different ship. A dragon-ship.

- It's a warship. – said Maxi.

- Does that matter? – asked someone.

- Maybe they can help us. Helping hands are always welcomed.

Maxi ordered his helmsman to approach that ship and, when they were close enough, he talked to a man who was onboard. The man had been looking at them as they got closer, as if he was waiting for them.

- Ahoy there! – yelled Maxi.

- What do you want? – asked the man, who was wearing a traditional Japanese armor.

- We're on a long and hard trip for a fair cause. We need more men.

- Which cause is that?

- To avenge my brother's murder.

Suddenly, the other man's face turned sad.

- What a coincidence.

- What?

- My brother has been recently murdered too.

- And are you looking for revenge?

- No...- the man closed his eyes. – I have something more important to do.

- More important?

- I have to find Soul Edge to save our country. – he said, forgetting he was talking to a stranger.

- Soul Edge? I'm looking for it too. – exclaimed Maxi. – It caused my brother's death.

- Mine's too, indirectly.

- We may join forces. – suggested Maxi. – What's your name?

- Heishiro. – answered the other man. – Heishiro Mitsurugi.


	35. Chapter 34: Life or revenge?

**Chapter 34: Life or revenge?**

The first time Rock saw Europe as an adult he was amazed.

Everything was very different from the place he came from. There weren't any jungles or forests, just buildings. The only thing that reminded him of America were the beaches.

Cervantes' ship had arrived at a Spanish port.

The captain went into the town and left the crew in charge of the ship.

Rock decided to have a walk along the beach. He thought someone would prevent him from doing it, but nobody did.

While walking, he started thinking about Bangoo and the rest of the tribe. It had been a miracle to have arrived there alive. He thought about taking the chance to run away from Cervantes before he made his decision, but the pirate was one of his targets.

He was lost in thought when a soft voice took his mind back to the beach.

- Escape while you can. – whispered somebody behind his back.

Rock turned around and saw a hooded man.

- What?

- Cervantes will kill you sooner or later. Now you have the chance to forget everything and leave to live.

- Who are you? How do you...?

- I'm here to save your life. – interrupted the man. – Cervantes is one of the bloodiest pirates. He would kill you with no doubt nor regret.

- Do you think I don't know?

- You're the first person I see getting off his ship alive. Even Cervantes and his crew are half-dead. You should take this chance.

- Yeah. The chance to kill my parents' murderer. – replied Rock.

- You'll end up as them if you get back onto that ship, or if you continue looking for that sword.

- But...

- Hey, you! – yelled someone.

Rock turned around again. It was one of Cervantes' crewmen.

- We are weighing anchor in five minutes! – he said. – If Cervantes finds you here, he'll kill you.

Rock looked at the hooded man again, but he was gone.

Doubtfully, Rock decided to accompany him back to the ship.


	36. Chapter 35: Voldo

**Chapter 35: Voldo**

After almost two months looking for it and having explored six different islands; Sophitia, Cassandra and the retired sailor who was helping them finally found the Money Pit.

At first sight it seemed a pit like any other, but instead of its rope being tied to a pulley and a bucket, it was only tied to a metallic ornament and it looked stronger than an ordinary rope. It was evident that it was meant to be used for descending to the pit and not for extracting water from it.

- Here we are. – said the man after checking if they were in the correct place. – I can go first, if you want.

- No, please. – declined Sophitia. – You have done enough bringing us here.

- Are you sure?

- Yes.

- All right, but be careful. They say that Vercci protected his treasure with all kinds of traps.

- What a great moment to say that! – complained Cassandra ironically.

- Cassandra, be quiet, please! – said Sophitia to her sister. – I'm going down. When I reach the bottom, I'll call you and you follow me, right? Don't move until then.

Cassandra reluctantly nodded.

Sophitia gripped the rope and started to descend to the pit.

About ten minutes later, Cassandra and the sailor heard her voice.

- There's nothing down here! – she yelled angrily.

Cassandra looked at the sailor with a reproving look.

- That's impossible. – he mumbled. – It's here, I'm sure.

- Wait! I've found something! – exclaimed Sophitia.

- What is it? – asked the other two at the same time.

- I think it's a tunnel. The treasure could be this way.

Cassandra sighed.

- Ok, there I go!

Cassandra reached the bottom more quickly, taking advantage of her smaller size.

- Hi, sis. – said Cassandra when she reunited with Sophitia.

- My turn! – yelled the sailor from above.

However, before he could even touch the rope, someone took him from behind.

The two women heard a drowned cry and saw something falling down the pit. Soon after, the sailor's corpse landed near them, with a deep cut on his neck.

They screamed and raised their eyes. A strange man was looking into the pit.

His skin was extremely whitish, his damaged eyes indicated that he was blind and he wielded a katar in each hand. One of them was covered in blood.

Then, the killer did something really surprising. He started descending the rope at full speed, without even dropping the katars, just using his arms and legs.

The two sisters ran into the tunnel.

After some minutes running through the darkness, they saw a light. However, it wasn't solar light. It had to be the place where Vercci had hidden his treasure.

They went into it, but then something happened.

Right at the moment Sophitia put a foot on it, she activated a trap. An arrow was shot from somewhere and it stuck into her stomach.

Sophitia fell to the ground, heavily wounded, and Cassandra stopped running to help her sister, despite their pursuer being following them very closely.

- Cassandra...run. – pleaded Sophitia.

- I can't leave you. – said her sister, who was starting to cry.

- If you stay, he'll kill us both.

Cassandra took a look at the room. Soul Edge and Soul Calibur didn't seem to be in there, but there were other weapons which looked very powerful.

- I have an idea. – she whispered.

She knew that Hephaestus' swords weren't too powerful, so she approached the treasure and picked up a big sword, with some difficulty.

When she did, another trap activated. A sharp spike emerged from the floor below her, but she was quick enough to avoid it.

Cassandra hid beside the room's entrance and waited for the killer to arrive.

Soon after he did, but he didn't step where Sophitia had. He probably knew the whole pit perfectly despite being blind.

Cassandra stood still while trying to hold the huge sword and Sophitia was lying on the ground.

For a moment, nobody did nor say anything.

Suddenly, the man talked:

- I can smell you. – he whispered. – You are in my house and there are traps everywhere. Do you really think you can get out of here…alive?

He sniffed the air, while the two sisters tried to be quiet.

- My name is Voldo, by the way. – he introduced himself. – Vercci left me in charge of his treasure. He is the only person who doesn't mind my blindness and trusts my…skills.

He moved towards Sophitia, who was still bleeding on the floor, as easily as if he could see.

He knelt beside her and smelled her hair.

- What have we got here? – he said with an evil grin. – I don't remember when was the last time I smelled a woman's aroma.

Voldo left his katars on the ground and started caressing Sophitia's neck with his nasty hands. The woman could only let him do it.

Voldo's cold fingers were about to touch more private parts of her body when Cassandra suddenly yelled:

- Here's another woman, you bastard.

Before Voldo could turn around, Cassandra hit him with the big sword. The blow sent Voldo to the ground and pushed him some meters from the two women. Cassandra kicked his katars away in order to prevent him from picking them up again. However, Voldo got up in a few seconds and kicked Cassandra's face, leaving her aching on the ground.

- Great news! – yelled Voldo angrily, licking his lips. – Two at the price of one!

He approached Cassandra but, before he could touch her, something impaled his chest.

Sophitia had gathered all her strength left to stand up and stab Voldo with her Hephaestus' sword.

Sophitia took her weapon out of Voldo's body and he fell dead to the ground.

After that, Sophitia collapsed.

Cassandra hurried to stand up and run to her sister.

- Sophitia!

- Don't worry. – whispered Sophitia. – I'm okay. I'm wearing a breastplate. The arrow broke through it and hurt me, but I think I'll live.

Sophitia closed her eyes and moaned in pain, but she looked really calm.

- But…how are we getting out of here? – asked Cassandra. – I can't climb the rope carrying you.

Sophitia smiled and tried to stand up. Cassandra helped her.

- I think I can do it on my own.

The two sisters hugged and headed to the pit's entrance, the wounded one leaning on the healthy one to be able to walk.

Sophitia was going to recover, but they had lost a lot of time in vain. Furthermore, the sailor who had helped them had died. At least, he had lived a last exciting adventure before dying.


	37. Chapter 36: Another nightmare

**Chapter 36: Another nightmare**

She was on an island, along with two girls who looked like warriors.

The girls were following her. She didn't know where they were going, but her feet seemed to know.

After a short walk, they arrived at a pit. It wasn't an ordinary pit: there was no bucket, just a rope. One of the girls used it to descend to the pit and soon the other one followed her.

She was about to follow the two girls when she felt a hand grabbing her shoulder. She turned around and the last thing she saw was a katar moving towards her neck.

**...**

Talim had had another nightmare. She knew that it had something to do with the sword she had dreamed of before.

But, were they just dreams?

She decided the best thing to do was to go back to sleep.


	38. Chapter 37: The plan

**Chapter 37: The plan**

Raphael had conceived a plan to escape.

He didn't know if he would be able to carry it on, but it was his only chance.

The strange girl came back soon as she had promised. She had gone to fetch Raphael's rapier.

- Well, well, well... – she said maliciously. – Let's have some fun.

She approached him and started ripping his pants with the rapier, while smiling naughtily.

- Oh, almost forgot. I'm Tira.

She didn't say anymore and kissed him.

Raphael wished to get rid of her, but if he wanted to escape, he had to let her do that.

The girl started caressing his chest. She wanted to enjoy her prey before killing it.

Then Raphael decided to start his plan.

He grabbed Tira's waist and returned her kiss. She hadn't expected it. Her reaction was to drop the rapier in order to embrace Raphael.

Raphael had managed to get what he wanted. He took advantage of his strength to turn her around and grab her, wrapping her neck with one of the chains holding him.

- Set me free! – he yelled, strangling her.

- I…can't! – she moaned.

- I'll kill you!

- If I let you go...- said Tira. - ...he will.

She was undoubtedly talking about the armor.

Raphael thought quickly and said:

- If you do, you can come with me.

He held the chains around her neck more softly.

That sentence surprised Tira.

- What? – she mumbled.

- I'm as full of desire for you as you are for me. – said Raphael. – We can escape together.

The girl smiled.

- It's okay. I'll set you free.

Raphael let Tira go. She took out a little key and opened the chains holding Raphael.

The first thing Raphael did when feeling free was to pick up his rapier.

- So where are we going? – asked an excited Tira.

However, the only answer she got was a quick and thin cut on her neck.

Tira became petrified when she saw what Raphael had done and, after her last tear rolled down her cheek, she fell lifeless to the ground.

Raphael then got ready to fulfill his final goal.

He approached the chest containing Soul Edge, willing to open it and destroy the sword with his weapon.

However, before he could do that, the sword's eye looked at him through its transparent container.

Raphael felt a terrible pain in all his body, stronger than anyone he had felt before.

He screamed, dropped his rapier and collapsed. He was unconscious.

He woke up hours later…and the sword, along with the armor pieces, had disappeared.


	39. Chapter 38: Cervantes' decision

**Chapter 38: Cervantes' decision**

- Rock! – yelled one of Cervantes' crewmen.

Rock was knelt, scrubbing the deck. He stopped doing it and stood up.

- Yes?

- The captain wants you to go to his cabin. Right now!

Rock was equally surprised and scared. Cervantes had never summoned him to his cabin since he arrived at the ship, and as far as he knew, the captain hadn't summoned any of the crewmen either. Had Cervantes made his decision concerning him?

Rock had no other choice but to obey and he headed to the cabin, where Cervantes was waiting for him, standing with his back turned to him.

- Did you call me, captain?

- Aye.

- What do you want from me?

- Your probationary period has finished.

That sentence terrified Rock.

- What?

- I've decided what to do with you.

- And…so? – asked

- I think you can be very useful to me. You perform your work well and you're physically fit for fighting.

Rock didn't say anything, just waiting for the final decision.

- I want you in my crew.

Rock wondered if that were good or bad news.

- Thank you, captain. Can I…leave?

- Of course, of course. Go back to work. – answered Cervantes, without turning around.

Rock was going back to deck when he heard a gun hammering behind his back.

He ducked just in time to avoid the shot, which impacted on the cabin's door.

Rock reacted immediately. He pounced on Cervantes, unsheathed the pirate's sword and stabbed it in his chest.

The pirate didn't offer any resistance, confirming Rock's suspicions: he could only be killed by destroying Soul Edge.

Before Rock could do anything else, he felt the steel going through his guts.

All blacked out.

**...**

Rock woke up on deck, but he felt really strange.

He stood up heavily.

He felt sick, so he looked out of the rail in order to throw up.

However, before he could do it, he saw something that shocked him.

His reflection was looking back at him from the water. A reflection of someone with whitish skin and dark eyes. Rock had become one of Cervantes' zombie crewmen.


	40. Chapter 39: Olcadan

**Chapter 39: Olcadan**

Mi-na was still taking care of the injured owl. Yunsung had gone almost two hours ago and hadn't come back yet. She was starting to worry. Suddenly, she heard someone calling her.

- Seong Mi-na?

Mi-na, holding the owl in her arms, looked at who was talking to her. It was a man wearing a hood.

- Who are you?

- If you want to stay alive, you should stop your search. That sword will only bring you suffering and death.

- Did my father send you? Is that it?

- Nobody sent me. It's just a piece of advice.

At that moment, the man looked right at the owl.

- Where did you find that owl?

- It was on the path. It's injured. – answered Mi-na, who hadn't expected that question.

- Let me see it.

- Why? –asked Mi-na, suspiciously.

- I know where it can be treated. Do you see that hill? – he pointed at somewhere behind her.

Mi-na turned around to look at it, but there wasn't any hill. Suddenly, the man grabbed her shoulders and smashed her head against a tree.

Mi-na fell to the ground, unconscious.

The man picked up the owl carefully and looked at its eyes.

- Olcadan? – asked. – Is it you?

The owl hooted.

The hooded man looked around and he didn't see anybody. He hid the owl among his clothes and left.


	41. Chapter 40: A long journey

**Chapter 40: A long journey**

After their experience at the Money Pit, Sophitia and Cassandra hired a sailor on that island who brought them back to the port they had left first.

Once there, they looked for the family of the sailor who had died helping them.

His only relative they found was his son, who was a young man of about 20 years old.

When they told him what had happened, he reacted unexpectedly. He took it easy. He seemed to understand that his father's time had come.

The young man even offered himself to take them to Japan, as his father would have done if still alive.

Sophitia reluctantly agreed, fearing the man could also die because of them.

However, Cassandra was glad with the idea, and she couldn't take her eyes off him.

He managed to convince some men to accompany them.

They set sail a few days later.

The journey lasted about ten months. When they arrived in Japan, Sophitia decided they should continue on their own, despite Cassandra wanting the young sailor to accompany them.

The two sisters went into the mainland while the men waited for them on the ship.


	42. Chapter 41: Following the pirate's track

**Chapter 41: Following the pirate's track**

Ivy had been looking for information about Cervantes for days.

She went to the library, asked people and even dared to inspect the woman's mansion again.

She found out that he was a Spanish pirate and the oldest inhabitants claimed that he had popped around there a long time ago.

However, nobody knew where he could be now, but he was probably dead.

Ivy decided that the only thing she could do was to travel to Spain, where the pirate surely was best known. She hired a ship's captain to take her there.

The journey lasted almost a month.

**...**

Ivy arrived at a Galician port. Nobody there knew very much about Cervantes, but a historian told her that the pirate had lived most of his life in Valencia.

Unfortunately, that was on the other side of the country. So, she had to use a little bit more of her fortune to hire a carriage to take her there.

Ten days later, Ivy arrived in Valencia.

**...**

Everything was different in there. Everybody had heard about Cervantes. Some people said he had become a fearsome pirate, others that he had moved to England. However, most of them thought he was dead.

Finally, a sailor who lived at the seaside told her that he had seen a ship which looked like the one Cervantes' used. It docked once a month on the beach and then set sail again.

However, there was something strange about that ship. Nobody had ever seen anybody getting out of it. Ever, but the last time it arrived. That had been two weeks before. The sailor had seen a big and strong man getting out of the ship. He had been talking with a hooded man. The sailor remembered that man well because he was wearing a cross-shaped amulet around his neck.

Ivy became intrigued by what that man had said, so she decided to stay there for two weeks until the mysterious ship arrived again.


	43. Chapter 42: The third dream

**Chapter 42: The third dream**

Talim was on a ship. The weather was calm. There were no people around her.

All that couldn't be possible, so she had to be dreaming. It seemed that the nightmares had finally gone.

However, there was something odd in the atmosphere.

She started feeling sick, so she headed to the rail to lean on it. Then, when she looked down and she saw the sea, she understood that she was having another nightmare.

Her reflection was too pale and had a lifeless gaze.

She felt a sword going through her stomach and she woke up.

**...**

Nightmares came after one another. Every night Talim dreamed about herself or somebody else being killed. She smelled it all had something to do with that evil energy which had possessed one of the kids. She had the increasing feeling that she had to do something.


	44. Chapter 43: There's strength in numbers

**Chapter 43: There's strength in numbers**

- Ling-Sheng Su Temple? – asked a surprised Kilik. – That's where we come from!

Kilik, Edge Master and Xianghua were having lunch together, sitting on a log.

Edge Master had hunted recently and he was sharing his prey with the two youngsters.

Xianghua had just told them where she was going.

- So... – she said. – You are Edge Master.

The master nodded.

- I'm Chai Zhang's daughter.

Kilik and his master looked at each other, remembering Li Long's visit.

- My father had written a letter to you before he…was killed.

She handed the letter to the master, who read it despite knowing what it said.

- Some nights ago, when we were still at the temple... – retold Edge Master. - ...a Ming officer and friend of your father's visited us. He knew about the letter.

- Is there a Ming officer…on our side?

- Not exactly. – replied Edge Master. – He's on our side, but he has to work against our interests in order to protect his life.

- Who is he?

- His name is Li Long.

- Oh, I know who he is. – said Xianghua. – He was a really good friend of my father's.

- We all have the same goal, Chai Xianghua. – explained the master. – We have to find that sword and destroy it as soon as possible.

- How are we going to do it? – asked the girl.

- Together. – answered Kilik.

He took her hand and they looked at each other. Xianghua nodded.

She wasn't on her own any more. And there's strength in numbers.


	45. Ch 44: The man who challenged the gods

**Chapter 44: The man who challenged the gods**

The hooded man took the little owl, Olcadan, to a clearing in the forest and left it on the ground. He sat beside it and waited.

When it got dark, the moonlight flooded the clearing and something magical happened.

The animal's little paws started growing and it became human legs. Its wings became arms and its feathers turned into strong muscles.

However, its head, despite of growing in size, stayed looking the same way.

The result was a owl-headed man, who had an injured arm, where the owl had the injury on its wing.

- Olcadan, my old friend. – whispered the hooded man.

They hugged, with not much effusiveness.

- What happened to you? – asked the hooded man, pointing at Olcadan's injury.

- A bloody branch. – complained Olcadan, with a voice that sounded quite like a hoot. – I can be a powerful warrior, but I'm an awful bird.

- So the gods' curse hasn't been lifted yet.

- It's not that bad. – said the owl-man. – In the sunlight, I go unnoticed. In the moonlight, I can attack my enemies in the darkness. This is the poorest curse I've ever heard of.

- Anyway, you shouldn't have challenged the gods.

- You know as well as I do that they didn't curse me for challenging them. They did it because I beated them!

Olcadan was a proud warrior. He even thought that he was most powerful than the gods.

People said that a god turned human for a while to fight against Olcadan with swords…and Olcadan won. The god, furious, transformed him into the creature he was now.

- By the way, Olcadan... – said the hooded man. - …what became of the sword you employed to win?

- Do you mean Soul Calibur?

The hooded man nodded.

- I have no idea. – admitted Olcadan. – That's why you picked me up, right? You insist on finding that two swords.

- You know that's the only way I can…

- I know. Even so, I think you are obsessed.

- If you were me, you would be too.

- If you are so much interested in that sword, that damned god surely hid it somewhere. Go and ask him.

- How can I do that?

- Go to the hill where I beated him and summon him. Hurt his pride. Provoke him and he'll show up.

- I'll do that. – agreed the other man.

The two men didn't say anything for a few seconds.

- Well, I must go. – said the hooded man.

- Yeah, and I have to find something decent to eat before I become an animal again.

- Nice to see you.

- Until we meet again.

They shook hands and left the clearing on different ways.


	46. Chapter 45: Different paths

**Chapter 45: Different paths**

- So you think the sword is evil... – said a thoughtful Heishiro.

He and Maxi were sitting at the counter in a bar, near the Chinese harbor where they both had disembarked. They were talking to each other about their stories.

- No. I know it. – replied Maxi. – Soul Edge is the source of a horde of monsters which are devastating whole cities around the world. Do you really think a sword like that could be good?

- But...Emperor Ming and his men will use it against our country unless we find it first.

- We have to find it, but then we won't use it. We'll destroy it. What do you think?

- Do you have any idea how to do it? We don't even know where it could be.

- I'm heading to a temple's ruins in India with my crew, where Soul Edge was employed to create Astaroth and the other creatures.

- I'm going to Germany to investigate Siegfried. He's the last known wielder of Soul Edge. Maybe I can find him and he wants to help me.

- Then I guess we must part.

- I'm afraid so.

They stood up and shook hands.

- Good luck. – said Heishiro.

- The same to you.

Finally, the two men reunited their respective men and prepared to leave for their different destinations.


	47. Chapter 46: A ray of hope

**Chapter 46: A ray of hope**

Since he had become a zombie, Rock spent nights crying on his bed, although he tried not to do it.

He knew that if he fulfilled his revenge he would have to perish in the attempt. On the other side, if he forgot about it and managed to go back home, his people wouldn't accept him again, because he wasn't human anymore.

He would probably never see Bangoo again. His thirst for revenge had led him to the dramatic situation he was in.

The only thing he wanted was to destroy the sword as soon as possible and end both his and his enemy's lives.

**...**

One night, one of Cervantes' crewmen heard Rock sobbing on his bed.

He approached him and asked:

- What's the matter, my friend?

- Not your business. – grumbled Rock, without looking at him.

- Come on…you can tell me. I won't say a word. Your secret will die with me… – said the pirate. – Err…if I…die again.

The pirate laughed. Rock smiled slightly, but the other man couldn't see it.

- Cheer up, man! – exclaimed the crewman, who didn't behave as a zombie is expected to. – Think of this: not everyone has a chance after death as you and me.

- A chance? – replied Rock. – Food tastes like ashes. Water doesn't refresh me. Wind burns my skin. And I spent all day scrubbing the deck and killing other men.

- Damn…I'm supposed to cheer you up, you're not supposed to get me down.

He patted Rock on his shoulder, friendly.

- I am Alan. – he introduced himself still smiling. – And I've been on this ship for the last seven years.

- Seven years? – asked a surprised Rock. – How do you deal with it?

Finally, Rock sat up and looked at Alan.

- Hope is the last thing to go, don't you know?

- Hope? We're trapped in here for the rest of our lives. The only way we can get out of here is killing Cervantes, and we would die too.

- That's not totally true. – replied Alan smiling and showing his yellowish dirty teeth. – Have you ever heard about Soul Calibur?

Rock shook his head.

- It's an antagonistic sword to Soul Edge. All the evil things Soul Edge does, Soul Calibur can repair.

- What do you mean?

- Maybe Soul Calibur can...turn us back into our human form.

- But…Soul Edge power resurrected us. If Soul Calibur undoes that, we will die. Am I wrong?

- It doesn't have to be that way. We both were killed by Cervantes, as well as the rest of the crew. Cervantes is the only one on this ship who died and Soul Edge had nothing to do with it. Maybe if we destroy Soul Edge using Soul Calibur…Cervantes would die and we would become human again.


	48. Chapter 47: Taki, the ninja

**Chapter 47: Taki, the ninja**

Sophitia and Cassandra started looking for Taki, the ninja they had come to look for. Sophitia met her when Taki brought the two sisters' father's corpse to Greece, so she would recognize her when she saw her.

They knew Taki trained herself in a ninja clan's hideout, but they didn't know anything about it.

After two weeks, they found somebody who had met Taki in person.

He was a member of her clan.

He told the two sisters that their clan had been attacked by a warrior wearing a huge armor and wielding a black sword with an eye in the middle of its blade.

Only three members of the clan had survived. He himself, Taki and a third person who had decided to go and destroy that sword, because it had something to do with his past.

Now, he didn't know where Taki could be, but she was probably training herself somewhere in the country.

**...**

Sophitia and Cassandra kept on looking for Taki for about one more week, searching in every place they found which had something to do with fighting.

Finally, their quest produced results.

When they entered a temple, they found a woman training on her own. She was wearing a mask.

- Sorry... – said Sophitia.

The woman took a quick jump and appeared right in front of the two sisters, startling them.

- Yes? – replied the woman, coldly.

- Do you know a ninja named Taki?

The woman laughed and removed her mask.

- Quite well, yeah.

That woman was, indeed, Taki. She didn't seem to recognize Sophitia.

- Taki!

- Who are you? Do I know you?

- We're Pelethron's daughters. Don't you remember me? – asked Sophitia.

Taki looked very surprised when she heard that.

- That's true. – she remembered, looking carefully at Sophitia's face. – Sophitia, right?

She nodded.

- This is Cassandra, my little sister.

- "Younger" sister. – clarified the aforementioned.

- What brings you here? I guess you've been in a long journey.

- You'll see, Taki... We need to find…Soul Calibur. – explained Sophitia.

- Soul Calibur? What for?

- It doesn't matter, but we have to do it as soon as possible. There are lives at risk.

- There are always lives at risk when those two swords are involved.

- I thought you could help us.

Taki thought for a few seconds. Finally, she sighed and said:

- I'm afraid I have no choice.

- What do you know about the two swords? – asked the older sister.

- Soul Edge's last wielder was Siegfried Schtauffen, a German warrior. He got rid of the sword, and since then, nobody knows where it is.

- We are not looking for Soul Edge. – reminded Cassandra.

- As for Soul Calibur, they say a powerful warrior used it to defeat a god.

The two sisters were listening carefully.

- However, that man was cursed. I don't know what exactly happened to him, but nobody has seen his face again. – retold Taki. – The sword… They say the defeated god, when he saw its huge power, decided to hide it, making it look like any other sword.

- Do you mean... – asked Sophitia. - ...any sword in the world could be Soul Calibur?

- That's right.

Sophitia put her hands above her head.

- It's impossible we can find it in time! – she said, really worried. – In fact, we should have found it already. I hope Rothion and the kids are okay…

- We should have stayed at home, Sophitia. – replied Cassandra. – We are better fighters than Rothion…

- Nobody forced you to come! – yelled Sophitia, facing her sister.

- Sophitia, if I hadn't come, that man in the Money Pit would still be licking your dead body! – raised her voice Cassandra. – On your own you would have never reached this far!

- Hey, take it easy! The two of you! – interrupted Taki.

The two sisters shut up, but they looked at each other murderously.

- We won't achieve anything by arguing. – said the ninja.

The other two women lowered their heads, feeling sorry.

- I guess you're right. – admitted Sophitia

- Of course I am. – asserted Taki. – Look, I have no idea where Soul Calibur can be, but I know it is very closely related to Soul Edge, and I have some hints concerning this one. A member of my clan, Yoshimitsu, went after it. I'm sure I can follow his track.

The three women looked at each other.

- Are you with me? – asked the ninja.

The two sisters nodded.

- Well. We'll rest today. I think you have earned it. However, tomorrow in the morning we're leaving, right?

The three women agreed, so Taki took the two sisters to a place where they could sleep peacefully.

Sophitia and Cassandra fell asleep quickly, because they were really tired. However, Taki couldn't sleep. For the first time since she had left the clan, true action came back to her life. She was really excited.


	49. Chapter 48: A hard journey

**Chapter 48: A hard journey**

Maxi and his men didn't rest.

They walked continuously following the directions given by Yoshimitsu, who claimed to remember almost exactly the way to his father's temple.

They didn't even stop to eat, because they did it while walking.

So they only stopped for sleep, and usually no more than six hours.

Maxi, Yoshimitsu and the most expert crew could keep up their pace but the newest could barely resist.

After two weeks, one of them collapsed.

That was the first time they stopped at daytime. The heat was overwhelming. It wasn't strange that that had happened.

Yoshimitsu thought it would be enough to give him some more water, but Maxi decided they needed to rest.

When the sunset was coming, they kept on going.

The journey didn't have any more accidents until they arrived, one month later, at the desert where the temple's ruins were.

The heat was now worse along with the water scarcity. They could barely go on, and a couple of men fell unconscious and never woke up again.

Even Maxi and Yoshimitsu, who were the strongest men among them, were exhausted.

Finally, after three days in the desert, they saw some rubble in the distance.

That was the place where Astaroth and the other monsters had been created, and where Yoshimitsu's father had died.

The travellers smiled in relief when they saw they had arrived at their destination. Maybe the journey had been in vain, but they were sure they would find something useful in there.

They headed to the ruins with determination, ready to give meaning to their journey.


	50. Chapter 49: The last wielder

**Chapter 49: The last wielder**

Raphael had had Soul Edge right under his nose and he hadn't even been able to touch it.

How would he manage to destroy it? Furthermore, he hadn't any clue to follow now.

He decided to finish inspecting the castle. He didn't find anything else useful.

However, he was leaving the place when he heard a voice behind his back.

- Did you mean to use the sword…or to destroy it?

Raphael turned around to see who was talking to him.

It was a blond tall man, with a scar across his eye. It was the man who appeared in the painting Raphael had seen in the castle.

Raphael was shocked. For some reason, that man's presence overwhelmed him.

- Doesn't matter. – continued talking when he noticed that Raphael was not answering. – You don't seem strong enough for any of them.

- Who are you? – finally spoke the French man.

- My name is Siegfried Schtauffen. The castle you have just left, Ostrheinsburg, used to be my home, until…

Siegfried stopped talking. It seemed he didn't want to talk about it.

- Until what?

- Until Nightmare arrived. – finished the German.

- Nightmare?

- You had better give up. – suggested Siegfried, ignoring Raphael's question. – That sword will kill you before you can even touch it.

- But…It must be destroyed. – said Raphael.

- That's what I'm going to do. First, I have to find Soul Calibur. Then, I'll finish Soul Edge off.

- What do you have to do with the swords?

- Soul Edge was used to kill my father. – explained Siegfried.

- Who did it?

Siegfried lowered his eyes and, after a few seconds, he answered.

- Me.

Raphael shuddered.

- Go home. – said the German warrior.

Without saying any more words, Siegfried started walking away quickly.

- Hey! – yelled Raphael. - Wait!

However, Siegfried ignored him and went on his way.


	51. Chapter 50: The defeated god

**Chapter 50: The defeated god**

The hooded man was walking in the darkness of the night, on a desert hill.

The hill was all covered in grass and it was palely illuminated by the moon.

It was a quiet and beautiful landscape, but the presence of the hooded man made it look sinister.

He went up the hill reaching its top.

Once there, he yelled:

- It's in here where you were defeated.

He smiled mockingly.

- Isn't it...Hephaestus?

Anybody who had seen the hooded man at that moment would have believed him to be crazy. He seemed to be talking to nobody and he wasn't getting any answer. Not until he said:

- I'm sure I could beat you too.

Suddenly, a thunder sounded in the distance and it started raining heavily.

Then a flash of light blinded the hooded man and, when it was gone, a man who seemed really powerful appeared in front of him.

- Do you really think you can beat me? – he said in a very loud voice.

- No. – admitted the hooded man. – And I don't want to. I don't really like animals.

He laughed and, surprisingly, the god shuddered as any mortal would have done.

- Then…why did you call me?

Hephaestus was getting angry and that made the storm get stronger.

- Have you heard of...Soul Calibur? – asked the hooded man, knowing the answer.

He was just trying to demoralize Hephaestus.

Gods are very powerful, but they are very proud too. The hooded man was hitting Hephaestus where it hurt most.

- Oh…of course. – he laughed. – That's the sword which a mere mortal used to beat you.

Hephaestus' patience was over.

He frowned at the hooded man and screamed loudly. When he did so, a lightning stroke right on the hooded man's chest, making him scream in pain and fall to the ground.

Hephaestus smiled in satisfaction while seeing the hooded man's corpse.

However, when he was about to leave, he heard a laugh coming from the corpse. A horrible and familiar laugh.

Suddenly, what Hephaestus believed to be a dead body stood up like if it had just tripped. He said laughing:

- I hope now you know my secret, you'll tell me where you hid Soul Calibur.

- Wh…what do you want it for? – asked Hephaestus, with a feeling which was beneath a god: fear.

The hooded man raised his head and he smiled, showing a gold tooth which shone in the darkness.

- To die.


	52. Chapter 51: On the way events

**Chapter 51: On the way events**

When Mi-na opened her eyes, it was already at night.

The hooded man had smashed her head very strongly. She was dizzy and had a headache.

There was somebody above her, helping her to recover.

She finally managed to focus her look**. **It was Yunsung.

- Mi-na! – he exclaimed. – You finally woke up. What happened?

Yunsung was speaking in a quite worried tone.

- I don't remember... – whispered Mi-na from the ground, while touching her head where she had been hit. – There was a man…a hooded man…

- Did you manage to see his face?

- No. He…he took the owl. – she remembered.

That memory seemed to clear her mindand she finally managed to open her eyes completely without the moonlight bothering her.

- Did you find a city? Why have you taken so long? – asked the girl.

- See for yourself. – answered Yunsung, pointing at aside of the path**.**

When she looked there, Mi-na felt equally surprised and displeased.

There were three men sleeping on the road shoulder**, **and the same amountof horses tied to a tree.

Mi-na knew the three men. Two of them were employees of her father's. The third one was no other than Hwang.

- They found me while I was exploring the surroundings**. **– explained Yunsung. – They ordered me to bring them here and when they saw you were unconscious, they told me to take care of you and they went to sleep.

- Hwang did the same?

Yunsung pursed his lips. He didn't like Mi-na mentioning Hwang.

- Yeah, Mi-na. Hwang did the same.

Mi-na sighed, disappointed, and stood up.

- We have to go before they wake up.

- Mi-na, they'll reach us soon. – said Yunsung,resigned. – Your father didn't choose these men randomly. One of them is an expert tracker. The second knows the surroundings like the back of his hand**. **The third…

- The third was chosen to lureme, because my father knows I'm in love with him. – Mi-na finished the sentence.

- Yeah, I guess. – Yunsung sighed, sadly. – Furthermore, they have horses and we're on foot.

- Well... – Mi-na thought looking at the horses. – That can be easily fixed.

- Can you ride? – asked a surprised Yunsung.

- Course. Can't you?

- Yeah, yes, I can. But…I hadn't expected you could.

- You have a long way to go ahead, kid. – she laughed while approaching one of the horses.

Yunsung followed her and they untied a couple of horses.

They picked up their supplies, stole some from Hwang's men and they got ready to ride.

Mi-na rode herswith a quick jump.

Yunsung was spellboundlooking at her.

Mi-na noticed it and laughed.

- Are you riding, idiot? – she mocked.

Yunsung reacted and, he had just put a foot on the stirrupwhen he heard someone saying:

- Not so fast**.**

It was Hwang. He had just woke up because of the noise and he was threatening Yunsung with his saber.

- Are you going to kill me, Hwang? – asked Yunsung insolently.

- I'm not a murderer. Not even with brats like you. – said Hwang scornfully. – Mi-na, get down the horse.

- But...

- Now!

She jumped down from the horse, disappointed.

- You two, wake up! – yelled Hwang to his two men.

In a few seconds, both of them were standing, as fresh as if they had been awake for hours.

- Mi-na, we're taking you home. – explained Hwang. – Your father is really angry.

- We are not going back! – exclaimed Yunsung.

- Don't worry. – said Hwang smiling. – You are not going back

- What? – asked Mi-na.

- He's expelledfrom the dojo for disobedience, desertion... – he took Yunsung's saber, which he had stolen from the armory. - ...and stealing.

- That's unfair! – yelled the girl.

- It's not my decision. –apologized Hwang, although it seemed clear that he was glad with it.

Mi-na, for the first time in her life, looked at Hwang with new eyes**. **His obedience to her father had turned the man she loved into someone despicable.

- We're going back to the dojo and then I will go after Soul Edge. – he explained, emphasizing the word "I".

- Soul Edge? – said a voice which didn't seem human.

Everyone looked around trying to find out who had spoken.

Before they could notice it, someone came out from among the trees and, with quick movements, left Hwang and his two escorts on the ground, unconscious.

Mi-na and Yunsung looked terrified at the person who had done that: he had human body, but… his head was that of an owl.

- Calm down, don't panic. – he said.

- Who…or what are you? – asked Yunsung.

- My name is Olcadan. – he introduced himself. – And despite of having an owl head I have much more brains than you, boy.

Mi-na and Yunsung opened their mouths, offended by the impudence of that man.

- Who do you think you are? – replied Yunsung.

- You were mocking someone who had a saber on your neck. – reminded Olcadan. – That's not what I call intelligent.

- What do you want from us? – asked Mi-na.

- I want you to tell me everything you know about Soul Edge. These men I've just knocked out don't know anything, I'm sure, so I decided to ask you.

Yunsung and Mi-na thought it over for a few seconds, until he asked:

- Why do you want to know that?

- The sword must be destroyed. The hooded man who knocked you out is looking for it, and also for Soul Calibur. - explained Olcadan pointing at Mi-na.

- Soul Calibur? – asked the two youngsters at the same time.

- I know it's hard to believe, but that man…is immortal.

- I'm talking to an owl. I can believe anything. – said Yunsung.

- His intention is to use the combined power of the two swords to kill himself and rest in peace. – retold the owl-man, ignoring Yunsung. – However, the power of both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur together could be so strong that...who knows what could happen.

- So why do we have to destroy Soul Edge and not Soul Calibur? – asked Mi-na.

- Soul Calibur is a good sword. It's a very very powerful weapon, but nothing else. However, Soul Edge… – Olcadan closed his eyes. - ...Soul Edge is equally powerful, but much more evil. It can possess whoever wields it. It can resurrect dead people. It can do a lot of things…a lot of horrible things. Soul Calibur is the only thing which can face up to it.

- Why do you know so much about the two swords? – inquired Yunsung.

- Because…I created them.


	53. Chapter 52: Meeting at the bar

**Chapter 52: Meeting at the bar**

Heishiro's crew had a problem.

One of the crewmen had fallen sick because he had eaten something rotten**, **so they had to stay on board at the port for a time.

Heishiro knew he had to find Soul Edge as soon as possible, but he wasn't the kind of man who leaves a man behind or forces someone sick to work.

Every night Heishiro went to the bar he had been atwith Maxi. Sometimes one of his crewmen accompanied him, but that day he was sitting alone at the counter.

Suddenly, a hooded man sat beside him.

- Would you like to order, sir? – asked the barman.

- No, thanks.

The hooded man's voice was very soft, but it made Heishiro shudder.

- Is it cold out there or something? – asked Heishiro.

- No. – answered the hooded man, using a tone which would have frightened any other man, but not Heishiro. – In fact, I've come here to talk to you, Heishiro Mitsurugi.

When he realized that man knew his name, Heishiro placed his hand onhis sword's hilt, prepared to unsheathe it. However, the hooded man hurried to say:

- Calm down, I've come in peace.

- Who are you? How do you know my name?

Heishiro was talking in a firm tone, but in such a low voice as to be heard only by the hooded man.

- Do you know Ming Empire is after you? – asked the hooded man.

- Which is not surprising. – claimed Heishiro with a contemptuoussmile. – However, I'm most powerful than half of its army even on my own.

- However, you couldn't prevent a woman from killing your brother on her own in front of you.

That sentence sparked off a chain of events which happened really fast.

Heishiro, furious, unsheathed his sword and tried to attack the mysterious man. However, before he could hit him, the hooded man grabbed his arm and managed to press him against the ground.

Heishiro barely had time to think when he noticed his face was touching the bar's filthy floor tiles**, **his own sword was over his neck and everyone in the place was looking at him being humiliated by a hooded man.

- Ming Empire, as you know, is also looking for Soul Edge. – said the hooded man without letting Heishiro move. – If you come across them in your quest…you'll reunite with your brother sooner than you think.

Heishiro yelled, as a result of the rage held back inside him.

- Do you want your mother to witness the loss of another one of her be loved?

When he heard that, Heishiro calmed down.

- I just wanted to warn you.

After saying that, the hooded man left the bar, leaving everyone there perplexed.


	54. Chapter 53: On Cervantes' ship

**Chapter 53: On Cervantes' ship**

At last.

After one week waiting, Ivy was visited in the inn where she was staying by the sailor who had talked to her about Cervantes' ship. He had come to let her knew that Cervantes' ship had finally come back.

Ivy decided to approach it to investigate, something nobody had never dared to do.

She was terrified when she checked that there were no people on board, despite not having noticed anybody getting off it.

However, she didn't know that boat was crewed by zombies who were able to become invisible to humans, and they were walking around her in that very moment.

She boarded the ship and started inspecting it. At first sight, it seemed an ordinary ship, although there was something sinister in the atmosphere. It gave the impression that something horrible could happen at any moment.

Ivy gathered her courage and headed to the cabins.

Most of them hadn't anything useful, but she discovered something in Cervantes'.

It was a small ledger which was on the bed.

Ivy was about to read it when the cabin's door closed by itself.

Ivy was startled by it and dropped the book.

She looked around, trying to find a reasonable explanation for what had just happened. She didn't manage to do it.

Suddenly, a terrifying voice which seemed to come out from the walls said:

- _Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?_

Ivy was starting to feel regretful for having entered the ship, but now she couldn't back out.

- My name is Isabella Valentine. – she said. – Who are you?

At that moment, a zombie wearing a luxurious pirate suit appeared in front of her.

- My name is Cervantes de León. – he introduced himself. – And I'm going to kill you.

He took out a gun and aimed at Ivy's head, but before he pulled the trigger she said:

- Wait. Wait, please. I want to show you something.

Cervantes really wanted to kill her, but he felt curiosity:

- What is it? – he asked, still aiming at her.

Ivy took out the baby sling which had the pirate's name on it.

- Why is your name in this baby sling?

Ivy handed it to Cervantes, who looked at it carefully.

- Baby sling? – he grumbled. – This is not a baby sling.

- Then…what is it? – inquired Ivy.

- This is a piece of a suit which belonged to me. I lost it while I was visiting the British Empire.

Ivy didn't understand anything, so she asked:

- Where did you exactly lose it?

- I guess I left it in Joanne Stuart's house. – his tone made Ivy think that he was talking about a long time ago. – Her husband arrived sooner than expected and I had to flee half-naked.

He laughed, almost forgetting what was happening on his ship.

However, Ivy had just realized something. Joanne Stuart's name seemed familiar to her and she knew why: that was the woman she had visited in England, who had also been visited by her father, who had been killed the night of the same day Ivy had visited her and who had a painting depicting Cervantes in her house.

Now, she just had to find out how Cervantes' suit had become a baby sling and, above all, how it had ended up in Valentine's mansion.

She thought about it and found a possible answer when Cervantes said:

- Well, if there aren't any more questions…

He was about to shoot when Ivy yelled:

- No! Don't do it!

- Why wouldn't I? – asked Cervantes, laughing again.

- Because…because I think I…I think I'm your daughter.


	55. Chapter 54: Soul Calibur's whereabouts

**Chapter 54: Soul Calibur's whereabouts**

Kilik, Xianghua and Edge Master hadn't a fixed course, because they hadn't any clue to follow. However, the master was able to feel Soul Edge's evil energy, so the two youngsters followed his directions.

They were having lunch when Edge Master said worried:

- I'm feeling something.

Kilik and Xianghua looked at him, frightened.

- What is it? – the boy asked.

- It's a really strong energy. It's like that I felt the day we found Xianghua.

Kilik remembered that day very well. They followed that feeling and came across Xianghua. Then, he looked at her eyes to check if she was possessed or not.

Xianghua also remembered that, seconds before that, she had been visited by a mysterious hooded man.

The three of them looked around.

- What if it is just another false alarm? – said Kilik.

Edge Master closed his eyes. He was really concentrated.

When he opened them, he just said:

- Run!

- What? – asked the two youngsters at the same time.

- Run! – repeated the master louder, while standing up. – That way.

He pointed at a direction and Kilik and Xianghua stood up too.

- Aren't you coming? – asked Kilik.

- No. I'm confronting whatever is chasing us.

- But…It could kill you.

- If I don't, it could kill us all.

- I stay with you. – said the boy.

- Kilik, don't make it more difficult for me!

- I proved I'm as resistant to the sword as you are. – yelled Kilik.

- This is not the sword.

For a few seconds, none of them said a word.

- Kilik, I think we should do what he says. – said Xianghua.

- But...

She took his hand softly.

- I'm running. We must stay together, don't you remember?

He looked at her eyes one more time. She smiled.

- It's okay. – he finally said.

- Now! – hurried the master.

They ran away, hand in hand, following the direction the mastar had indicated. In their other hands, they had their respective weapons: Kilik's staff and Xianghua's short sword, which she had taken from her father.

The master turned around to confront the evil energy.

After a few seconds, something came out from among the bushes. A hooded man.

When he saw the master, he asked in a menacing tone:

- Where is she?

- She? Who is "she"?

- Chai Xianghua. – answered the hooded man. – Soul Calibur's wielder.


	56. Chapter 55: The trap

**Chapter 55: The trap**

Yoshimitsu, Maxi and his about 30 men went into Kunpaetku's temple's ruins, most of them frightened but determined.

Holding their weapons up high (most of them swords and sabers, but for Maxi's nunchaku) they descended into the main chamber, which was underground.

Down there it was almost completely dark. The floor was covered with puddles and the outside light slightly reflected in the water.

- What are we exactly looking for? – asked Maxi to Yoshimitsu.

- The monster who killed both my father and your brother.

- Astaroth? What makes you think he is in here?

- Do you remember I told you his intelligence is almost human?

Maxi nodded.

- Well, he isn't intelligent enough to avoid being cheated.

- What are you talking about? – inquired Maxi suspiciously.

- How much do you want revenge, Maxi?

Maxi didn't like Yoshimitsu's tone at all.

- What…?

- I found Astaroth. – confessed Yoshimitsu. – I met him before I met you in Ryukyu.

Maxi was shocked. He didn't know what was happening.

- What…what happened?

- Astaroth enjoys killing people, Maxi. He lives for killing and destroying. However, what he really likes is slaughtering. And he prefers people who can protect themselves.

Maxi's crew was starting to feel terrified.

- I told him I would draw a group of fighters to his hideout…the ruins of the temple where he was created. I made him believe I was doing it in exchange for money.

Maxi gulped.

- However, what I really want is not money. Just revenge. – claimed Yoshimitsu. – When I found him, I was on my own. I could have never killed him.

- You mean…you brought us here to help you to kill him.

- You're just a crowd to slaughter for him. Just defend yourselves. If you manage to kill him, that would be perfect. If you don't…I'll take advantage of him being distracted killing you, I'll show up and I'll kill him.

Maxi's face changed surprise for rage.

- You cheated us! – he yelled. – You're just using us as bait!

- I can see you understand.

Maxi, really angry, grabbed Yoshimitsu's neck.

- What prevents me from just killing you right now?

- Come on, do it. Kill the only person who can help you to get rid of that monster.

Maxi realized he was right. Without Yoshimitsu's help, he would never manage to kill Astaroth.

- Kill him! – yelled some of his crewmen.

- Let's get out of here! – suggested a few of them.

However, before they could do anything, a thunderous noise made everything rumble, and everybody shut up.

Short after, the same noise sounded again. And again. And again.

Maxi soon knew what they were. They were steps. Steps of someone really big.

Then, they saw a huge leg entering the chamber. A giant was slowly descending the same way they had followed before.

Seconds later, Astaroth was right in front of them.

He looked incredibly human. Only three features made him different. His enormous size, his red skin and, the most impressive: his heart wasn't inside his body. Instead, it was beating right in the middle of his chest, in sight.

Astaroth looked around in satisfaction, while everybody looked at him in fear.

- So we're going to have fun! – he said with a resounding voice.


	57. Chapter 56: A new stage

**Chapter 56: A new stage**

In the end, Mi-na and Yunsung had taken advantage of Hwang and his men's presence.

Mi-na, Yunsung and their new ally, Olcadan, had stolen their horses and some of their supplies.

In the morning, while Olcadan was an owl, he flew over their heads while they walked tugging their horses' ropes.

At night, the three of them rode the horses.

Olcadan didn't know anything about where Soul Edge could be, so they stuck to their plan: go to Ling-Sheng Su Temple to meet Edge Master.

Olcadan had already heard about the temple and the master.

"Edge Master is the only person who maybe could beat me", he said proudly when someone mentioned the master. Yunsung thought he was a real pain, but he made Mi-na laugh.

They soon realized Olcadan was, behind his appearance of owl-man and powerful warrior, a kind and good man. Furthermore, he was a lover of nature like Mi-na, despite his problems while being a bird.

All of them enjoyed being together. Olcadan had finally found some help to find and destroy Soul Edge.

Mi-na liked having someone to talk to besides Yunsung, with whom she quarrelled more than talked.

And the boy felt safer having such a great fighter with them.

To top it off, the horses allowed them to travel more quickly without getting tired.

Their journey was in a new stage, which was, undoubtedly, much more comfortable.


	58. Chapter 57: Meeting paths

**Chapter 57: Meeting paths**

The hooded man's visit had hurt Heishiro's pride.

A disarmed man had humiliated him, Heishiro Mitsurugi.

Before that, he had only met a person in his whole life who was worthy of his sword: the ninja he used to meet in all his journeys. Edgar had mentioned her the same day their mother told them that their father was dying.

Inexplicably, that woman's path always met with Heishiro's. He supposed it wasn't so strange if they both used to travel round Japan.

However, now Heishiro's journey would take him far away from Japan.

Heishiro was thinking about all this in his last day at the port, because his sick crewman was about to recover.

He was leaving the bar when he saw something that made him believe that he had drunk too much.

It couldn't be.

At the very moment when he was heading to the door, three women came in through it.

Two of them were blond and looked alike. They were probably sisters. However, Heishiro wasn't concerned about them.

The third woman was, indeed, the ninja he always met: Taki.

- You again? – asked Heishiro when he saw her.

Then she noticed him and was equally surprised.

- Mitsurugi...once more in my way, huh? – she answered smiling.

- Maybe it is you who are always in mine.

- Who is he? – asked one of the blond women.

- He is Heishiro Mitsurugi, a mighty samurai. Always in my way. Sometimes we work together, sometimes we have to fight but…he's always there.

- Perhaps it's as fate would have it. – said Heishiro.

- Perhaps. – replied the ninja.

- Well, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?

- Oh, course. These are Sophitia and Cassandra. They have come from Greece.

- Greece? What reason could force you to make such a long journey?

- The weather was horrible. – joked Cassandra.

- They came to find me, Mitsurugi. – said Taki. – They want me to help them to find...Soul Calibur.

- Soul Calibur?

- That's what I said.

- What a coincidence!

- Are you looking for Soul Calibur too? – asked Sophitia.

- No. I'm looking for Soul Edge.


	59. Chapter 58: About Cervantes and Ivy

**Chapter 58: About Cervantes and Ivy**

- My daughter? – asked a surprised Cervantes. – What makes you think that?

- Well, I'm not sure, but…everything fits.

- What's everything? – grumbled Cervantes, losing his patience.

- This baby sling... – Ivy said. - I found it in my house. I'm an only child, so it was used on me.

- So what?

- My mother told me before she died that I had been adopted. My father found me on the beach when I was a baby. I think he found me along with this baby sling.

Cervantes was starting to understand.

- Probably, Joanne Stuart got pregnant that night her husband arrived home sooner than expected. Nine months later, I was born.

- She was almost a noble, so she couldn't allow herself to raise a bastard. – continued Cervantes.

- So she abandoned me, along with the only thing my father had left behind.

- Furthermore, she used the piece of my suit which had my name on it. So if you ever wanted to find your true parents, you would find me first.

Ivy nodded. Cervantes lowered his gun.

- Well, it seems like she succeeded. Here you are.

- Yes, but, I really didn't come here for that reason.

- You didn't? Then why? – asked Cervantes suspiciously.

- Because... – Ivy understood she had spoken too much, so she decided to lie. - ...the painting.

- The painting?

- I love art. I saw the painting depicting you in Joanne Stuart's mansion and I really liked it, and I wished to see more of the same artist. However, the painting didn't say anything about its author. Joanne didn't know it either, so I decided to look for the person who had given it to her. – Ivy was thinking really fast.

- I painted it myself. When I was alive, I was not only a pirate, but also a great painter. – he boasted. – But…what were you doing in Joanne Stuart's mansion?

- Em...she was my neighbour. – continued Ivy, knowing that her lie was falling apart. – I used to visit her.

- Your neighbour? Joanne Stuart's mansion was outside the city. She didn't have any neighbours.

- Well…eh…I guess she moved.

- So…you've come from England…for a painting?

- Yes. – said Ivy, trying to look truthful.

- Well, I don't have any more paintings. So you can go.

- But…I just found out you're my father!

- You may haven't noticed it, but your daddy's quite dead.

- Oh…well… – the true was that Ivy had almost forgotten that she had been talking to a zombie.

- I'm sorry, dear, but I can't let it be known that I'm still living as a zombie.

Those words frightened Ivy.

- I have never had women in my crew but… You're my daughter, so I guess I can make an exception. – he said with an evil grin.

He raised his gun again and, seconds later, the few zombies who were still on board heard a gunshot coming from the captain's cabin.


	60. Chapter 59: The ledger

**Chapter 59: The ledger**

About an hour before Cervantes' ship arrived in Valencia; Rock and his new friend, Alan, talked in their cabin.

- Ok, let's revise the plan. – suggested Alan.

- When Cervantes gets off the ship, I'll go to his cabin. You follow him and, if he tries to come back, you distract him. – said Rock by heart. – Once in the cabin, I'll look for the ledger, read it and copy the most interesting information.

- Well. I'll do my best to prevent him from catching you, but if he does, I have nothing to do with it. Your idea, your responsibility.

- No problem.

- I hope you're right and there's something useful in that ledger.

When the ship arrived at the port, the crew started to disembark.

They saw a woman approaching the boat, so one of them asked Cervantes:

- What shall we do with that woman, captain?

- Nothing. – he ordered. – I'll take care of her.

His men obeyed and left the ship, leaving Cervantes on board.

However, one of them approached him. It was Alan.

- Captain... – he said.

- What do you want?

- Don't you…leave the ship today, sir?

- We have a visitor. – Cervantes answered pointing at the woman.

- Well…I…I think we have a problem in the held.

- A problem? – yelled the captain.

- Yes...one of the powder barrels is pierced. I guess rats are behind this.

- I can't take care of that now. – Cervantes raised his voice. – Do it yourself. Don't leave any of those vermins alive.

- But I…

- Now!

Alan could only follow Cervantes' orders and head to the held, despite knowing there weren't any rats in it.

Meanwhile, the captain decided to check what that woman was going to do on his ship.

She inspected it and all its cabins, with an invisible Cervantes walking beside her.

Finally, the woman headed to Cervantes' cabin, where he decided he would confront her.

However, Rock was still in there, copying information from Cervantes' ledger.

There were some really interesting things in it.

The most interesting fact was that Soul Calibur had been transformed to look like an ordinary sword. Cervantes had discovered it when he had interrogated a warrior named Olcadan.

One of Cervantes' goals was to find and destroy Soul Calibur, in order to make Soul Edge invincible. His other goal was to find Soul Edge itself.

The ledger also said that there was an immortal man looking for the two swords in order to kill himself. On that same page, on the upper right corner, Cervantes had written: "Soul Edge?".

Rock supposed that Cervantes believed that man already had Soul Edge in his power.

He was still reading the book when he heard something behind his back. A woman was approaching him, so he left the ledger on the bed and kept the piece of paper where he had copied the information in his pocket.

He was about to leave the cabin when he noticed that something else was coming: Cervantes.

The woman couldn't see him, but the pirate could, so Rock hid himself behind the cabin's door.

The woman came in and picked up the ledger, but she hadn't even opened it when Cervantes arrived and slammed the door, thus startling her.

Fortunately, Rock was standing behind Cervantes' back, so the captain didn't see him. The woman was looking right at him, but she couldn't see him either because he was invisible.

It seemed like the woman wasn't seeing Cervantes as well.

Suddenly, the captain said:

- Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?

She looked around, confirming that Cervantes was invisible too. She answered:

- My name is Isabella Valentine. Who are you?

Cervantes introduced himself and she gave a jump, so Rock knew that the pirate had just appeared in front of her.

He raised his gun and aimed at Isabella's head, and they started talking.

Rock was scared Cervantes might turn around and see him, but he couldn't leave the cabin without being heard, so he stayed listening to the conversation.

He learnt that that woman was Cervantes' daughter, and they had just discovered it too.

When their conversation finished, Cervantes said that he couldn't let her leave alive, so he wanted her to join his crew despite being a woman.

He was about to shoot her, and at that very moment Rock knew that he had to do something.

Rock pounced on the captain without thinking about the consequences.

Cervantes was pushed at the very moment he was pulling the trigger, so his shot deviated and hit the cabin's ceiling.

Isabella didn't hesitate and left the ship running, without caring about what or who had saved her.

Meanwhile, Rock and Cervantes struggled, the pirate having dropped his gun.

Rock was much stronger than his captain, so he managed to immobilize him.

Soon after, Alan arrived, warned by the gunshot.

- What happened? – he asked.

- New sheriff in town. – answered Rock smiling.


	61. Chapter 60: Towards Soul Edge

**Chapter 60: Towards Soul Edge**

Raphael tried to follow Siegfried, but he soon lost his track.

Siegfried, who was more intelligent than a crow, had managed to mislead him.

Now Raphael was lost in Germany, not having a clue to follow towards Soul Edge.

He wasn't even sure about how to go back home. Only luck could help him.

At least, that was what he believed, but he didn't know that the Evil Seed was gradually leading him to Soul Edge.

However, if the sword moved, all the distance he had travelled so far became useless, and he felt an inexplicable feeling that made him change his way.

Indeed, the sword was moving.

At that time, Raphael's feet were leading him towards Eastern Europe.

When he arrived in Berlin he decided to buy a carriage to move faster, and then he headed to where his instinct told him to go.

Soul Edge was still moving…but always in the East.


	62. Chapter 61: The most powerful warrior

**Chapter 61: The most powerful warrior**

- Soul Calibur's wielder? – asked a confused Edge Master.

- That's what I said. – replied the hooded man.

- But…she doesn't wield it. How could she…?

- So you know her. Where is she?

- Why would I tell you? – yelled the master.

- I'll find her sooner or later. I'm just trying to make it easier…for both of us.

- I'm sorry, but... – the master picked up his trident, which he had left on the ground while having lunch. - ...I can't let you pass.

The hooded man smiled, showing his gold tooth.

- Really? – he said softly.

At that moment, the hooded man tried to hit the master, but he managed to avoid the blow.

- Do you think you can beat me? – asked Edge Master proudly. – I'm probably the most powerful warrior in the world. Do you even know who you are talking to?

- Of course I know…Shunsuke.

The master was shocked. For the first time in decades, someone had pronounced his true name. It was impossible for that man to know it…but he knew it.

- Who…who are you? – the master asked.

- Your murderer, unless you tell me where Chai Xianghua is.

- Yeah? Let's see it.

He didn't say any more words and jumped on the hooded man, holding his trident up high.

Surprisingly, his foe didn't offer any resistance. Edge Master's trident pierced the hooded man's chest, but he stayed still.

The master left his trident stuck in the hooded man's body, waiting for him to collapse, but that never happened.

The hooded man laughed and he quickly took the trident out of his own chest and stuck it on Edge Master's.

Edge Master briefly looked at his own weapon and he fell to the ground.

- The most powerful warrior... – said the hooded man laughing.

He didn't pick up the trident again. He just continued walking, leaving behind the master's dead body.


	63. Chapter 62: More vivid

**Chapter 62: More vivid**

Talim woke up startled one more time.

That man wearing a hood was about to attack her with his trident when she opened her eyes back in the mill.

Her dreams were getting more and more vivid and they came more frequently each time.

Something was wrong, but she didn't know if it had something to do with her or if she could do something to fix it.

She decided she would think about it the next morning, but she now had to rest.

However, she didn't know that there was still a nightmare left that night…


	64. Chapter 63: Alliance at the port

**Chapter 63: Alliance at the port**

- So you have come here following that Yoshimitsu's track... – said Heishiro.

He was walking along with the three women down the beach, at night.

- Aha. – confirmed Taki.

- I came across him. – retold Heishiro. – I met his captain, who was heading to India. They were going to the ruins of a temple where Soul Edge was used to create monsters.

- I don't think it is advisable to go to a place like that. – said a suspicious Taki, who knew Yoshimitsu well. – It was probably built in some lonely area to prevent people from noticing the experiments which were made there. The perfect place where you can be killed without getting any help.

- They would know how to take care of themselves. – replied Heishiro.

They walked without talking for a few seconds, until Sophitia finally asked:

- And where are you going, Mr. Mitsurugi?

- Germany. – answered the samurai.

- Germany? – said a surprised Cassandra. – That's far.

- Not much more than Greece.

- Why are you going there? – asked Taki.

- I'm looking for Siegfried Schtauffen, last Soul Edge's wielder. When I find him, I'll surely be close to Soul Edge…and maybe to Soul Calibur too.

Taki thought about it and she finally said:

- I think we should go with you.

- What? – yelled Cassandra. – Just kidding, right?

- No. I think that man will be more useful than a ruined temple.

- But... – Cassandra was really annoyed. – We've come from Greece and now…we just go back to Europe again?

- I think there's no another choice. – said a resigned Sophitia.

- Provided that Mitsurugi agrees with that, of course. – replied Taki.

- Sure. Helping hands are always welcome.

- Ok, but I hope you don't need helping feet. – joked Cassandra.

- Don't worry. – said Heishiro laughing. – Maybe one of my crewmen can carry you on his arms.

He inspected her from top to bottom.

- I really don't think they would care.

Cassandra blushed. Nobody could have told if she was flattered, offended or both.

- What about me? – Taki continued the joke. – Can someone carry me too?

- You?

Heishiro laughed.

- I think it should be you who carried one of my men. – replied Heishiro mockingly.

- Are you calling me fat?

- No, no…how could I? – said Heishiro still laughing. – You just look…strong.

- Well, I think you look stronger than me. – she replied smiling, and then she got ahead of the group.

- So do you want me to carry you? – yelled Heishiro following her.

Cassandra and Sophitia stayed behind.

- These two guys like each other, don't they? – whispered Cassandra to her sister.

Sophitia rolled her eyes and kept walking.


	65. Chapter 64: At the inn

**Chapter 64: At the inn**

Raphael's journey was being long and boring, until he arrived in the present Ukraine.

He had stopped to rest at an inn (something unusual, because he barely had to rest because of the Evil Seed) when a man sitting next to him at the counter talked to him.

- That glare in your eyes... – he said with a hoarse voice. – You're one of mine, right?

Raphael looked at that man.

He was older than him, but not an old man. He had a creepy scar on his cheek and he wore a patch on his right eye. In his left one, he had the glare of the Evil Seed.

- Where are you from, boy?

- Rouen. – answered Raphael. – France.

- France? – said the surprised man. – That's a little walk from here, isn't it?

- I move fast and I don't need to rest very much.

- I know, I know. – replied the man. – Even so, what brings you here?

- Instinct. – answered the French, smiling.

- Instinct?

For a few seconds, none of them talked and they only heard the barman rubbing a jar.

- So you're looking for the sword…

- That's not your business. – said Raphael, before sipping his beer.

- That's what everybody tries first. They try to escape the Evil Seed. But it's useless, boy. You should go back home.

Raphael continued drinking, ignoring him.

- I also tried... – he pointed at his scar and then at his patch. – Wish I hadn't.

- I'm not doing it for me. – said Raphael.

- Aren't you? So, for whom?

Raphael didn't say nothing for a few seconds, but he finally answered:

- Her name is Amy.


	66. Chapter 65: A new crew member

**Chapter 65: A new crew member**

Ivy left Cervantes' ship running in fear.

She couldn't imagine what had saved her life, but she didn't care.

The sailor who had talked to her about the ship was waiting for her outside.

- What happened? – he asked when he saw her.

Ivy stopped beside him but she couldn't talk because she was panting.

- Isabella, what happened?

- I found Cervantes. – she retold. – He was about to shoot me, but…something saved me.

- Something? What?

- Me. – said a nearby voice, startling them.

They looked towards it, but there wasn't anybody there.

At that moment, a tall and strong man appeared before them.

His skin was whitish and he had a strange glare in his eyes.

Ivy and the sailor were paralyzed, despite of wanting to run away.

- Calm down, I don't want to hurt you. My name is Rock.

- Who…what…who are you? – asked the frightened sailor.

- I am…I was one of Cervantes' crewmen. However, there have been a mutiny. He wasn't very much loved by his crew. Now I'm the captain.

- You're a zombie too, right? – inquired Ivy.

Rock nodded.

- How can that…be possible? – asked the sailor.

- Soul Edge did it.

- Soul Edge? That's the sword I'm looking for. – said Ivy.

- You too?

- My father was looking for it before he died. Now I just want to finish the job.

- I'm sorry, but the sword must be destroyed.

- Destroyed? Why?

- It's evil! – yelled Rock. – Because of it monsters like Cervantes exist. Because of it a lot of people have died and will die. It isn't an ordinary weapon.

- But…the sword is what keeps you alive, isn't it? – supposed the sailor.

- Yes, but…maybe there's a solution. Soul Calibur. A sword as powerful as Soul Edge. If I find it, maybe I can use it to become human again.

- Do you know where it can be?

- According to what I read in here… – Rock raised one of his arms, showing the ledger Ivy had been about to read. - ...it was transformed to look like an ordinary sword.

- So, it could be any sword in the world... – said Ivy.

- I'm afraid so.

- How are you going to find it?

- Searching. – he answered as if it were obvious. – I have plenty of time.

Surprisingly, that sentence made Ivy laugh.

- However, if you help me I will do it sooner. And don't worry, I don't need you to be dead to be in my crew.

- I'm sorry, but... – said the sailor. – I have nothing to do with this. I have a happy and quiet life in here. Good luck, but I'm not going after any sword.

- I understand. And you? – asked Rock, addressing Ivy.

Ivy thought about it for a few seconds, and she finally answered:

- You can count on me.


	67. Chapter 66: Confronting the hooded man

**Chapter 66: Confronting the hooded man**

Kilik and Xianghua were running, hand in hand.

For some reason, they were more afraid of releasing each other than of the thing that was chasing them.

They also had to pay attention to avoid dropping their weapons. As if it wasn't enough, they were really worried about the master.

They ran for a long time and lost the sense of time. They were exhausted, but they knew that stopping could put their lives at risk.

They weren't wrong, because the hooded man who had killed the master was closely following them, and he was faster and more resistant thanks to the Evil Seed.

He wanted Soul Calibur desperately, so he was not going to stop.

A few meters ahead of him, Xianghua was losing all her energies. Kilik realized it.

- Xianghua, we can't stop. – he said, breathless.

- No, Kilik... – replied her, stopping. – What we can't do is to run eternally.

Kilik stopped too. He knew they had to run, but Xianghua was right.

- Our only choice is to try to fight. – claimed Xianghua.

- It's okay. But I will. Hide.

- What?

- I don't want anything wrong to happen to you.

- Oh, and I'd love it if something wrong happened to you. – replied Xianghua ironically.

- Xianghua, it isn't the same…

- Just because you are a man?

However, they couldn't argue any more, because the hooded man arrived.

The two youngsters looked at him in fear.

- You! – exclaimed Xianghua.

- Do you…know him?

- I met him before you found me.

- That's why the master felt that evil energy.

When he mentioned his master, Kilik reacted.

- The master...where is he? – he yelled to the hooded man.

The hooded man didn't say a word, but he smiled, showing his gold tooth.

- What have you done to him? – he raised his voice, threatening the hooded man with his staff.

- I'll do to you the same I've done to him, unless you give me that sword. – answered the hooded man, pointing at Xianghua's weapon.

- My sword? Why?

- Don't do it! – said Kilik. – He'll kill us anyway.

Kilik's eyes showed his rage and sadness. A single tear was rolling down his face.

- Then I guess I should kill you first and take the sword. Give it to me willingly, you have nothing to lose.

However, Kilik was not going to do anything for him willingly. He pounced on the hooded man, holding his staff up high, but before he could realize, both he and his weapon were on the floor.

There, he listened to the hooded man talking to Xianghua:

- Now give it to me, little girl, or I'll kill your boyfriend.

Kilik raised his eyes. Xianghua was also looking at him. Their eyes met for the umpteeth time.

They had never thought of themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend. However, at that very moment, Kilik believed the hooded man was right about that. And, according to Xianghua's face, she was feeling the same.

Finally, the girl stretched out her arm towards the hooded man, handing the sword to him.

Kilik closed his eyes, feeling both resigned and touched by what Xianghua had done.

However, something really strange happened.

When the hooded man grabbed the sword's blade, it started shining. The radiance was so intense that even Kilik felt it through his closed eyes.

He opened them to see what was happening, but he needed to close them again immediately because the light was blinding him.

Suddenly, something similar to an explosion sounded and the light died away.

Finally, Kilik opened his eyes and he felt really surprised at what he saw.

Xianghua was sitting on the ground, as surprised as him. Her sword was still beside her.

The hooded man, however, had disappeared.


	68. Chapter 67: Astaroth's slaughter

**Chapter 67: Astaroth's slaughter**

Maxi had seen horrible things along his life, but none like that.

His crewmen thought the same, according to their screams and terrified faces.

Maxi noticed something: Yoshimitsu had disappeared.

- Maxi, we've got to get out of here. – exclaimed one of his men.

- Fighting is useless. – added someone else.

Maxi looked at the exit. It would be impossible to get there avoiding Astaroth.

- No, we'll never make it. We must fight. – ordered Maxi.

However, his men were too frightened to follow his orders. Two of them ran desperately towards the exit.

- No! Don't! – yelled Maxi in vain.

As it was expected, Astaroth blocked their way.

- Going somewhere? – asked the giant laughing.

He raised a leg and kicked them as if they were puppets.

The two men flew out at full speed and they crashed against a wall.

The sound they made when hitting the wall was so disgusting that Maxi didn't dare to look.

Two men less. The slaughter had just started.

Astaroth was slowly approaching the crew. They crouched in fear, while Maxi stayed still ahead of them.

- You don't scare me, monster.

- Really? – replied Astaroth mockingly.

He strongly punched a wall, thus making some rocks come off.

He picked up the biggest one, which was the same size as a human child, and threw it at his victims.

Maxi was one of the few men who managed to duck and avoid the rock, but it bumped into about ten men. None of them survived.

Maxi swore at Yoshimitsu in a mutter, with his eyes full of anger and tears, while seeing the giant killing his whole crew.

For some minutes, he couldn't do anything but close his eyes waiting for his death, thus not seeing the blood and bones of those who had already been crippled by Astaroth.

The screams and cries tormented him, but there was nothing to do.

Suddenly, he heard someone talking to him:

- Maxi! The exit! The way is clear! Run, save yourself!

Maxi opened his eyes to see who was talking to him. It was one of his oldest crewmen. Astaroth was approaching him, and he had managed to take the giant quite away from the exit, so it was easy for Maxi to reach it, because Astaroth wasn't very fast.

Maxi started to run there, but something made him stop before he could reach it.

A horrible shriek coming out from the same place where his crewman had talked to him.

Maxi looked there and what he saw made him feel sick. His man's guts were scattered all over the place.

Astaroth laughed cruelly.

Maxi then noticed his whole crew had already been killed.

For a second, Maxi hesitated whether to run away or to try to beat the monster who had killed his crew and had caused his brother's death.

However, that second was enough for Astaroth.

The monster picked up a small rock which was the same size as a book and threw it at Maxi.

The pirate managed to avoid it, but it smashed the wall behind him.

The wall collapsed and some rocks fell on Maxi's trunk and extremities, thus immobilizing him.

Maxi almost couldn't breath. He tried to get rid of the rocks. He was managing to do it, but he was also giving Astaroth some time to approach him.

He was about to set himself free when Astaroth arrived.

- Well, little rat, it's a pity that we have to finish this now…but it has been funny.

The giant raised a leg but, when he was about to crush him, something happened.

Yoshimitsu appeared from behind as fast as lightning and leapt on the giant holding his katana up high.

The ninja reached Astaroth's head and stuck his katana on the monster's nape.

However, he hadn't chosen the right moment to do that.

Astaroth had a foot in the air, so he lost his balance. He fell backwards, and Yoshimitsu's speed wasn't enough to escape in time.

The giant's enormous body crushed the ninja's.

Maxi closed his eyes at that very moment and he relaxed for a few seconds. Finally, he got rid of the remaining rocks on him and stood up.

What had happened there had been horrible, but he could feel lucky: among all the people who had been there during the slaughter, only he had survived. Not his crew, nor Astaroth, nor Yoshimitsu.

Just him: Maxi, the pirate from Ryukyu.


	69. Chapter 68: Ultimate nightmare

**Chapter 68: Ultimate nightmare**

Talim was in a dark and sinister place. It seemed to be underground.

She was among about thirty men. They were as confused as she was.

Suddenly, everything rumbled. After some seconds of silence, everything rumbled again.

Rumbles came after one another, until a huge monster with red skin entered the place.

Talim saw in horror how the giant's heart was beating in the middle of his chest, in sight.

She was about to scream when she noticed the giant was carrying a big rock. He laughed and threw it at her. Talim managed to avoid it, but the rock killed her fellows.

She looked at the giant again. Surprisingly, a masked man was on his neck, holding a katana.

The monster approached her. Talim stayed still and, when the giant was right in front of her, the masked man stuck his katana on the monster's neck. The monster's enormous body was about to fall on Talim.

The girl screamed while the giant's corpse pounced on her, and at that very moment she woke up in the mill. Once again, it had just been a nightmare, but once again, it had seemed too real.

The worst thing was that now she hadn't seen the deaths of two or three people. They were almost thirty.

If the nightmares had a real basis, she had to do something to prevent them from happening any more.

She was a priestess, so maybe she had some powers she still didn't know, such as foreseeing.

She decided to get started. She talked to the oldest boy she was taking care of, who was just a couple of years younger than her, and told him to protect the other kids while she was away.

The boy agreed and she promised to come back.

Finally, although still not knowing where to go, Talim left the mill.


	70. Chapter 69: Crossing the frontier

**Chapter 69: Crossing the frontier**

After some nights riding and some days walking (or flying), Mi-na, Yunsung and Olcadan arrived at the border between China and Korea.

However, there was something unpleasant waiting for them.

Some armed men wearing uniforms and riding horses were guarding the frontier.

When the group arrived, it was in the morning, so Mi-na and Yunsung were walking along with the horses and Olcadan was flying in his owl form.

Mi-na looked surprised at those men, while Yunsung was suspicious about them.

One of them approached the youngsters and asked:

- Who are you?

- We... – started to say Mi-na.

- No! – interrupted Yunsung. – Why do we have to identify ourselves?

- They're Emperor Ming's orders. – answered the soldier. – No one can enter or leave the country without identification.

- What? – yelled Yunsung. – Since when?

- Since ten days ago.

- What's the reason for that? – asked Mi-na.

- We're looking for something really important. Whoever can help us, must do it. Your names, please?

Yunsung sighed and answered.

- My name is Hong Yunsung. This is Seong Mi-na.

- Why are you coming to China?

- That's not your business. – replied Yunsung insolently.

- I have to know, or you won't be able to pass.

- Actually, we're going to Nepal. – said the boy.

- So why are you going to Nepal?

- We're looking for a place. – answered Yunsung, annoyed. – Before you ask, it's a temple.

Mi-na looked at him reprovingly, making him realize that he was speaking more than it was advisable.

- A temple? One of those temples where people fight?

- No. – said Mi-na quickly. – A religious temple. We're going on pilgrimage.

The man looked at their horses.

- Why do you have three horses?

Mi-na didn't know what to answer. Fortunately, Yunsung did.

- A friend who was travelling with us died a few days ago. We couldn't abandon his horse. – he said looking at Mi-na, knowing her concern for animals.

She smiled.

The soldier didn't seem very convinced, but he yielded.

- All right, you can pass. When you arrive at the frontier with Nepal you'll find another control. You have to say my name and they'll let you pass.

- What is it? – asked Yunsung.

- Li Long.

Mi-na nodded and Li Long made a signal to the other soldiers. They moved away and

Mi-na, Yunsung, the three horses and Olcadan, flying over them, entered China.

When they were far from the border, one of the soldiers approached Li Long.

- Do you think they know anything about Soul Edge? – he asked.

Li Long doubted for a few seconds and he finally answered:

- No. I don't think so.


	71. Chapter 70: Soul Calibur's protection

**Chapter 70: Soul Calibur's protection**

The hooded man was going up the hill where he had summoned Hephaestus again.

He was limping and he had wounds all over his body, under his clothes.

When he reached the top, he yelled exhausted:

- Hephaestus!

This time, the god appeared immediately. Once more, he did it with a lightning and it started raining.

- What happened to me? – asked the hooded man, furious.

- I don't know. – answered Hephaestus mockingly. – Tell me.

- As soon as I put my fingers on that sword, it started shining…and I felt the severest pain I've ever felt in my long life. I dropped the sword and, when the light disappeared, I was near here, hundreds of kilometers away from where I found Soul Calibur. The sword and the youngsters were gone. When I stood up, I realized one of my legs was failing. Then I noticed the wounds all over my body.

Hephaestus nodded. It was obvious that he knew exactly what had happened before being told about it.

- Why did this happen? – yelled the hooded man.

- I forgot to tell you that Soul Calibur can protect itself…from evil. Including the Evil Seed you have inside yourself.

- Protect? What kind of protection?

- Just what happened to you. It hurt you and made you disappear.

- What?

- Furthermore, when I transformed it, I added one more feature to its protection. Whenever the sword protects itself, it moves.

- It moved? Where?

- Well, it is not exactly that it moves. The girl who wielded Soul Calibur still has her sword, as if nothing had happened.

- So then?

- However, her sword isn't Soul Calibur any more.

- I…I don't understand.

- That sword, which was Soul Calibur before, now is an ordinary sword. On the other side, a sword which was ordinary before, now is Soul Calibur.

- So…Soul Calibur has a completely different form now.

- That's it. And it can be in any other place in the world.

The hooded man grumbled, noticeably angry.

- You cheated me!

- Yes, I did. Don't try to be smarter than a god.

After saying that, he disappeared with another lightning.

The hooded man stayed alone in the rain and knelt in pain.

He yelled in rage and finally let himself fall on the grass.


	72. Chapter 71: Hope

**Chapter 71: Hope**

- What happened? – asked Kilik to Xianghua when they stood up.

- I have no idea. – she said, looking at her sword, not knowing that it had been Soul Calibur a few moments ago.

She picked it up and Kilik did the same with his staff.

They looked around, trying to find a trace of the hooded man. They didn't succeed.

They were exhausted and sad, but they knew they had to carry on.

They sat to eat some fruit and to talk about their next step. They had lost their guide, so they hadn't any idea where to go.

- What shall we do now? – she asked after some minutes of silence.

Kilik seemed to had avoided talking about what had happened, but he couldn't do it any more.

- I don't know. – he answered. – I think we should first…say goodbye to the master.

He looked at her eyes one more time and she knew what he meant.

After they finished eating, they stood up again and headed back to where they had left the master.

When they arrived there and saw the dead body, they felt the same: a mixture of sadness, rage and sickness.

Edge Master, who had been like a father for them during the last weeks, lay on the floor face up. His skin was now white as snow, his gaze was lifeless and his own trident was stuck on his chest.

That sight overwhelmed Kilik. He approached the corpse and knelt beside it. Then, he cried. He cried as much as he had done only once in his life: when he was forced to kill Xianglian.

And his hopes fell along with his tears.

- It's useless! – he yelled, sobbing. – Whatever we do to destroy that sword, it will always beat us! Why should we carry on fighting?

Xianghua felt very disappointed when she heard that, but instead of collapsing as well, she decided to try to cheer him up.

She approached him and put a hand on one of his shoulders.

- I'm very sorry, Kilik. – she said very sweetly. – But we can't give in. Not now.

- Now? Now is the perfect moment to give in. We don't know where to go. We just have a little sword and an useless staff. – he grumbled, resigned.

She bent down and put her arms around his neck.

- That's not true. – she whispered. – We have something more.

- Really? – Kilik turned his face towards her. - What?

- I have you... – Xianghua moved her face closer to Kilik's. She could see clearly the tears rolling down his cheek now. - ...and you have me.

At that moment, their lips met.

They separated a few seconds later, although they thought it had been an eternity.

Then their eyes met one more time, but this time it was different. They were saying "I love you" with their eyes.

Kilik smiled and Xianghua smiled back at him.

However, they wouldn't be smiling for a long time, because they would be kissing again short after.

Anyway, Xianghua had succeeded. Kilik had hope again.


	73. Chapter 72: Frontiers

**Chapter 72: Frontiers**

Talim's first days travelling were quite ordinary.

However, that was really something out of the ordinary.

The nightmares had disappeared. That made her think that those dreams had only happened to lead her out of the mill and in search of the source of that evil energy which once had possessed one of the tribe's children. That source, although she didn't know it, was Soul Edge.

She believed she didn't know where to go, but something inside her seemed to be showing her the way. The strangest thing was that she was sure that she was on the right way.

**...**

She had been walking for days, maybe weeks, when she finally found something different in her journey.

There were some soldiers blocking the way, some of them on horses.

Their uniforms called her attention. It was the first time Talim saw people who didn't belong to her tribe personally, although she had done it in dreams.

She approached the guards, and then one of them left his position to talk to her.

- Who are you, little girl? – he asked, also looking in surprise at the girl's clothes.

- My name is Talim. Why? What is this?

- You're about to enter China. Emperor Ming ordered nobody can enter the country without identification.

- I did it. Can I pass?

The man doubted for a few seconds.

- Why are you coming to China?

- I'm not coming to…China. – answered Talim. – I just want to know the world.

- Where are you from?

- I don't know. Where I come from, lands don't have names. We consider the world as only one thing. We don't understand why we should put frontiers on it.

The soldier laughed, just as if she had just told a joke.

- It's okay. Pass.

- Thank you. – she said, annoyed by the man's reaction.

He made a signal to the other soldiers and Talim entered China, crossing the frontier, which didn't exist for her.


	74. Chapter 73: Stories by the campfire

**Chapter 73: Stories by the campfire**

Kilik and Xianghua buried Edge Master where he had died, and along with him, a chapter in their lives.

Each spadeful was like a stab for them, particularly for Kilik, but they knew they had to do it. They owed it to the master.

Xianghua proposed to clean the trident and bury it along with its owner, and Kilik accepted.

When the master was already resting in peace, it was starting to get dark. Kilik and Xianghua decided to gather some firewood to build a campfire and stay that night there.

They spent a lot of time on it, now that Edge Master couldn't help them, and when they finished, it took them longer to light the fire.

The campfire was ready at dead of night.

The two youngsters sat around it, hand in hand, and they started talking.

- Are you okay? – asked the girl.

- I'm with you. – he answered. – That's the best I can be now.

Xianghua smiled and kissed his cheek.

- You know what? I was thinking…we've been together for weeks, and we don't know very much about each other. – said Xianghua. – For example, how did you get to Ling-Sheng Su Temple?

Kilik's face turned serious and he answered:

- It happened when my parents died.

Xianghua immediately felt sorry, apologized and tried to change topic.

However, Kilik didn't mind talking about it.

- Don't worry. I was 5 years old. I can barely remember them.

- What happened to them? – Xianghua dared to ask.

- I don't remember, but Edge Master told me about it. They were hiking in the mountain where the temple is. They were attacked by wild animals. Fortunately, Edge Master arrived before they attacked me.

- He saved your life…

- Yes. But I couldn't save his. – grumbled Kilik, throwing a little branch to the fire.

Xianghua didn't know what to say.

- Well, I could once. Anyway, now he's dead and I wonder if I did the right thing when I first saved his life.

- What? Why do you say that?

- Because in order to save his life…I killed the most important person in the world for me. – he said with tearful eyes.

- What happened?

Kilik didn't answer.

- Kilik, you can tell me. – she said caressing one of his shoulders. – If you want to.

- It was Soul Edge… It possessed every pupil in the temple…but for me.

- Why didn't it possess you?

- Regarding the master, because I was stronger than them. – he laughed ironically. – Lucky, huh?

- Well, I also lost my mother when I was a child. She was ill, I was 7, and she died. You already know how my father died.

- Don't you…don't you always wonder why…?

- Why bad things always happen to those around me and not to me? – she guessed. – Continuously.

Kilik sighed in sadness. However, he smiled when he realized that Xianghua felt the same way than him.

- Anyway…I feel peace now. – she suddenly said, happily.

- Really? Why?

- Because you are like me…and, for the moment, you're the only one around me. – she replied smiling. – And I really wouldn't mind if everything goes on like that for a long time.

Kilik looked at her eyes, surprised to hear that.

- I'm sure that... – afirmó Xianghua. - ...when we destroy that sword, everything will be in order, and we will live happy together.

Kilik smiled again.

- I hope you're right.

Then he kissed her. She was the only important thing left to him.

The girl kissed him back and they were talking and showing love to each other until they fell asleep.


	75. Chapter 74: The interrogation

**Chapter 74: The interrogation**

- It's useless, Rock. – said Ivy. – He won't say anything.

- He will. – he disagreed.

- Why would he? He knows that if we find the sword, he's dead.

They had locked and chained up Cervantes in the held, and Rock had decided to question him about Soul Edge's whereabouts. The pirate obviously didn't know anything about it, because if he did he would have gone after it, but maybe he could give them a clue.

- I'll make him talk. – claimed Rock heading to Cervantes' cell.

- How are you going to do it?

Rock ignored her and descended into the held. Ivy hurried to follow him.

Down there, everything was very dark.

Cervantes was tied to a beam. Beside the ex-captain, Alan was standing still, guarding him.

When Rock and Ivy arrived, the prisoner raised his eyes and laughed.

- I think I underestimated you, Rock, didn't I? – he said.

Rock approached him and grabbed his neck.

Alan and Ivy were surprised to see Rock so furious.

- My name is not Rock. – he grumbled. – My true name is William. William Adams.

Cervantes looked at Rock's eyes and smiled evilly.

- Adams? Where did I hear that? – he wondered, mockingly.

- Maybe from my parents. Nathaniel and Catherine Adams.

- Nathaniel Adams? Oh, of course…the man who allegedly first found Soul Edge.

- Allegedly?

- So that's why you're here. – understood Cervantes, ignoring the question. – You came looking for revenge.

Rock snorted as a confirmation.

- Then I'm sorry you have travelled so much for nothing, because you need to destroy the sword to kill me, and even I don't know where it is. And if I knew it, I wouldn't tell you, of course. Furthermore, now you're a zombie too. If I die, you'll die as well.

- I told you. – intervened Ivy. – He won't talk.

Rock released Cervantes and addressed Alan.

- When I arrived here, they took my axe. Do you know where it is?

Alan nodded.

- Bring it here.

- What are you going to do?

- Just do it.

Alan sighed and left the held.

Ivy and Rock looked at each other.

- You don't have to stay in here if you don't want to. – he said.

- I will…I think I will stay. – she replied.

- Fine.

Alan came back soon later, seizing Rock's huge axe

- Here you are. – he said handing it to its owner.

Rock grabbed it and approached Cervantes again.

- So aren't you talking?

The only answer he got was a loud laugh.

- Do you really think you can hurt me? – asked Cervantes. – A zombie doesn't feel pain and you should know it.

Rock smiled.

- Alan, I've been wondering about something for a time. What would happen to a zombie if he gets his head cut off?

Cervantes' face immediately changed.

- The same as if he gets any other part of his body cut off. – the crewman answered. – He wouldn't feel anything, but that part would become useless. The brain is in the head, so…I guess that if a zombie gets his head cut off, the rest of his body would become useless instead.

- I suppose being just a bodyless head isn't very nice, right? – the new captain said while approaching his axe's blade to Cervantes' neck. The pirate gulped.

- Of course. – replied Alan.

Rock seemed very pleased.

- Well…then I'll ask you again, Cervantes…Aren't you talking?

**...**

- Let's start from the beginning. – said Rock. – When was the first time you heard about Soul Edge?

- I hadn't heard about the sword when I first found it. – explained Cervantes. – I was sailing my old pirate ship and I boarded another boat. As soon as I did it, I noticed there was something strange on that ship. The captain was enormous, his skin was red and his heart was in sight.

Ivy and Alan gave each other a look of disgust when they heard that.

- Undoubtedly, it wasn't human, although he seemed to be considering his intelligence. That monster was carrying Soul Edge, and I took it from him. I don't usually leave people alive when I board a ship, but I didn't dare to fight with that giant. So, as soon as I had Soul Edge in my power, I fled along with my crew. – retold the pirate. – Some time later I found out that monster was Astaroth, who had taken the sword from his creator, Kunpaetku.

- How did Kunpaetku get the sword? – inquired Ivy.

- I don't know. – answered Cervantes before continuing. – That sword…was the most powerful weapon I had ever seen, and I haven't seen a better one since then either. I went so far as to love Soul Edge as much as my own life. However, short after, I lost it during a naval battle, near Portugal. It fell to the sea and I thought I had lost it forever. But I was wrong.

- My father found Soul Edge in Portugal. I guess it had been swept by the tide. That night you boarded our ship and killed my parents. – Rock said angrily. – How did you know we had the sword?

- I guess I was led by my instinct…or by the sword's. Soul Edge is alive, you know? It knew it belonged to me, so I suppose it led me to it.

- How did you lose the sword again? And how did you become a zombie?

- Months after killing your parents, I was mortally wounded. I fell to the sea, dying, but holding Soul Edge tight. The sea swept us to India, but by then I was already a dead corpse. – said Cervantes with an evil grin. – However, one day, a warrior who looked Nordic, or maybe German, found us and tried to take the sword. Then, Soul Edge resurrected me to protect itself. Unfortunately, that warrior was too powerful, and he managed to defeat me…but I was now an immortal zombie.

- What do you know about Soul Edge, nowadays?

- I know it doesn't lead me to it any more, and that's strange. However, I found a mighty warrior named Olcadan, who had information about Soul Edge and Soul Calibur, and I questioned him. I found out he had created both swords and he had used Soul Calibur to defeat a god, who then hid the sword.

- I read that in your ledger. – said Rock. – What else? What about Soul Edge?

- He realized it was too dangerous, so he got rid of it by selling it to a guy who was really interested in it. Maybe Kunpaetku himself.

- That's possible, yes.

- He also talked about an immortal man who is looking for the two swords in order to kill himself, but you probably read that in my ledger too. – said the pirate ironically.

- Yes, but…on that same page, there was a note which said "Soul Edge" between question marks. What does that mean? Do you think that man already has Soul Edge in his power?

- That's it. Why did Soul Edge lead me to it the first time I lost it instead of leading Astaroth? Why doesn't it lead me to it now? I think the sword wants to be in the most powerful hands. I guess I'm most powerful than Astaroth. And someone most powerful than me…an immortal person could be. A really immortal person, not a zombie.

- Do you know anything else about that man?

- No... Olcadan told me that he is always wearing a hood. It could be anybody.

- Wait… A hood?

- Yes, it is something you put over your head. – mocked the pirate.

- The first time we disembarked in Spain, a hooded man talked to me…

Cervantes seemed surprised to hear that.

- Alan! – yelled Rock.

- Yes, captain?

- Tell the helmsman we're going back to land.


	76. Chapter 75: Unexpected help

**Chapter 75: Unexpected help**

Raphael was about to leave the inn. He addressed the innkeeper to pay him. Then, Raphael noticed that man had a very unusual appearance considering the region they were in (present Ukraine).

His dark complexion and his features indicated that he was probably African. He was stout and completely bald, and he was wearing a strange robe, which probably came from the same country as the man who was wearing it.

When Raphael gave him the money, they looked for a moment at each other's eyes, and they could both see that the other one was possessed by the Evil Seed.

- So you too, huh? – said the innkeeper, who had a deep voice.

Raphael didn't answer.

- This is becoming a bloody plague. I see a possessed person more often each time. That not considering those people who try to hide it.

- I believed possessed people can't control themselves.

- I think that's an exaggeration. The man you were talking to a while ago is possessed too, maybe you noticed it. As you can see, the three of us can control ourselves.

- Does it mean that we're strong enough?

- I don't think it is all about strength. – said the innkeeper. – I believe anyone can manage to control himself if he knows what he is confronting. However, those who don't even know what Soul Edge is…it's really difficult for them.

- What do you know about the sword? – asked Raphael.

The innkeeper sat beside him.

- I know what it is…I know its story…and I know where it was seen the last time. – he claimed, surprising Raphael.

Raphael reacted immediately, suddenly standing up.

- Where?

- Oh…so you're looking for it. – replied the other man smiling, thus showing his sparkling teeth, which contrasted with his dark skin. He also had a gold tooth.

- Where? – repeated Raphael.

- Far from here. The last thing I heard was that a warrior wearing a big armor devastated a village in India…on his own.

- India... But India is a very big country. How will I find the right place?

The innkeeper doubted for a few seconds and he answered:

- I'll help you.


	77. Chapter 76: Rebirth

**Chapter 76: Rebirth**

Maxi thought he was dying.

He was travelling back through the desert, but this time he was on his own and he had less supplies left.

At least, being alone he could move faster.

Some days after he left the temple's ruins he managed to get out of the desert.

He could barely walk, so once he saw buildings, knowing that he was back in civilization and probably someone would pass by, he let himself fall and lost consciousness.

**...**

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a dark sky beaded with stars.

He didn't know how much time he had been unconscious or where he was, but he knew someone had moved him, because he had fallen face down and now he was looking upwards.

He heard voices near him and he tried to listen to what they said.

- What do you think has happened to him? – asked a female voice.

- I think he has been walking in the desert. We found him outside the city and he was dehydrated. – answered a man. – When did you last give him some water?

- An hour ago. – she said. – Should I do it again?

- Yes, I think so.

Maxi heard steps heading towards him. He could soon see a young and beautiful woman's face. She was holding a canteen full of water. She was about to make him drink when she noticed he was awake.

- He's awake! – she exclaimed. – He has opened his eyes!

A boy approached them.

- Can you hear us? – he asked.

Maxi tried to speak, but he didn't have enough energies.

- Can you speak? – insisted the boy.

Maxi could only sigh.

- Give him water. – he said to the girl.

She did it immediately. That water seemed to have been taken from the paradise for Maxi.

- Thank you... – he managed to whisper.

- You're welcome. – she said smiling.

- What's your name? – asked the boy again.

- Ma...Maxi. – he answered, but in such a low voice that nobody could hear him.

- What?

- Stop it, Kilik. – told off the girl. – He is exhausted. When he recovers, you can ask him whatever you want.

Kilik sighed and nodded.

- I'm Xianghua, by the way. Anything you need, we're here, ok?

Maxi couldn't answer, but he managed to smile. Now he was feeling safe again. He felt as if he had been born again.


	78. Chapter 77: Just for caution

**Chapter 77: Just for caution**

Heishiro, Taki and the Greek sisters were walking through China, heading to Germany.

They were escorted by Heishiro's men, and they moved quickly.

Cassandra was constantly complaining about her feet, and once she even ended up being carried by one of Heishiro's men.

The samurai and the ninja walked faster than the other ones, and they used to talk ahead of the group. Sophitia barely spoke, while Cassandra tried to talk to the handsome men around her. However, they were people of few words. "All brawn and no brains", thought Cassandra, although she didn't say anything because she didn't want to offend them.

Most of these men were strong, good-looking and not very intelligent, but they were kind and polite too. They treated the three women very respectfully and it was clear that they had a good education and a noble heart. This was because Heishiro was very meticulous when choosing his men. He valued strength, courage and honor. Intelligence was up to himself.

Anyway, his men were prepared to protect them all along their long journey.

**...**

They had been walking for weeks when they arrived at China's westernmost frontier (although Cassandra believed it had been centuries). However, they found something they hadn't seen when they entered the country: the frontier controls recently imposed by Emperor Ming.

When the guards noticed such a big group approaching them (Heishiro's men were about 15), they raised their primitive firearms, just for caution.

- Stop there. – ordered a soldier who was riding a horse, and who seemed to have the highest rank among them.

The group obeyed.

- What's going on here? Who are you? – yelled Heishiro.

- It's me who asks the questions here. – replied the man arrogantly. – This is a frontier control. Anyone who wants to pass has to identify himself. Furthermore, you're a big group, so we have to take…special actions.

- What? – grumbled the samurai.

- It's just for caution. We have to keep all your weapons.

Heishiro's face suddenly turned really angry.

- Who do you think you are? – he yelled. – We are not giving anything to you.

The soldier laughed.

- No problem. – he said before addressing his subordinates. – Shoot them.

- No! Wait! – hurried to say Taki while the soldiers loaded their guns. – We'll give our weapons to you.

Heishiro looked at her the same way he would have done if she had just spit worms from her mouth.

- What did you say?

- If we don't do it, they'll kill us. – she answered looking at his eyes. Then, she winked.

Heishiro didn't understand what Taki was thinking, but he sighed and agreed.

He laid his katana on the floor, at the soldiers' feet, and the same did his men. Taki surrendered her ninja daggers and the two sisters their Hephaestus' swords.

- Sophitia, are we giving them the swords forged at our temple? – whispered Cassandra, outraged.

- Any better idea?

Cassandra snorted, knowing she was right.

Once they had surrendered their weapons, they identified themselves (Heishiro gave a false name because Ming Empire was looking for him) and the guards let them pass.

They had walked about a meter when Heishiro said to Taki:

- So, which is the plan?

Taki didn't answer. She just tripped and fell to the ground.

- Ouch! – she yelled. – I twisted my ankle.

Heishiro's men quickly turned towards her, but he indicated them to move away. He himself bent down to examine Taki's ankle. When he did so, he noticed she had a dagger hidden in one of her shoes and he smiled.

- Hey! – he yelled to the soldiers. – I need someone to lend me a hand! Are any of you a doctor?

The man on the horse looked at them suspiciously and made a signal with his head to one of his subordinates.

That soldier approached them. Heishiro moved away.

Taki stretched out the leg where she hadn't hidden the dagger. The soldier examined the ankle for some seconds and then he looked at Taki, distrustfully.

- There's nothing wrong with…

Suddenly, Taki kicked his face and, surprisingly quickly, she took the dagger out, stood up, grabbed the soldier from behind and put her weapon's blade on his neck.

The other soldiers immediately reacted aiming their weapons at them, but their boss stretched out his arm to prevent them from shooting.

- Drop your weapons and give ours back to us. – demanded the ninja. – Or he's dead.

The man on the horse doubted for a few seconds and he finally replied:

- It's okay, kill him. You and your friends will be next.

Taki smiled mockingly.

- I tried to be kind.

Then, everything happened very quickly.

With a simple move of her wrist, Taki slit the soldier's throat. Before the other soldiers could react, she threw the dagger at the man on the horse. It hit right on his heart, surprising everybody but Taki. The soldier could just look at his wounded chest before dropping his gun and falling dead from his horse.

The other soldiers tried to shoot Taki, but she was so fast that she managed to avoid all the bullets.

Meanwhile, Heishiro picked up the first killed soldier's gun and started shooting left, right and center.

Soon most of the soldiers had died while Taki and Heishiro had barely been harmed.

When there was only one soldier left, he dropped his gun and knelt before Heishiro.

- Please, don't kill me. – he pleaded. – I can join you.

Heishiro looked at him contemptuously and dropped the gun he was holding, which was unloaded now. However, he made a signal to Taki and she handed his katana back to him.

The samurai put the tip of its blade on the man's chin, forcing him to raise his head and look at his eyes.

Heishiro didn't see any regret in that man's look, just hate and fear.

- I'm sorry. – mumbled Heishiro quietly. – It's just for caution.

Then, he raised his katana and sliced the man's neck with strength.

Heishiro wiped the blood on his sword on the corpse's clothes with tearful eyes, because he did't like to kill, despite of being used to it.

He sheathed his katana and looked at his allies, who had already recovered their weapons too.

His men had serious faces. Taki was looking at him in surprise, while the Greek sisters seemed to be scared.

- We must go. – said the samurai. – When Emperor Ming discovers this, he will have one more reason to kill me. We'd better be far from here when that happens.

Having said that, Heishiro started walking again.

Taki sighed and followed him, along with his men.

The two sisters stayed behind for a few seconds, shocked, looking at the remains of the battle.

- Sophitia... – whispered Cassandra.

- Yes? – answered her sister, still looking at the corpses.

- Who on earth is this guy?


	79. Chapter 78: In China

**Chapter 78: In China**

Mi-na and Yunsung were amazed.

They were very surprised at the number of people they saw in China, because it was much more populated than Korea.

Furthermore, there were also a lot of soldiers in the streets, and they wondered if that was something usual or if there was a special reason for it.

Olcadan flew high above their heads, because he didn't want to be seen in order not to raise suspicions (owls were not usually seen flying over Chinese cities).

The owl-man had ordered the youngsters to withdraw to an isolated place before it got dark in order to recover his human form without being noticed. They also bought a coat with a hood to hide his owl face.

The first night, they hid in an alley, where Olcadan turned into human and put on the coat.

- This is enormous. How are we going to find the right way? – asked Mi-na once Olcadan was able to talk.

- Time ago I knew this pretty well, but it's been many years and cities have expanded a lot. – said the owl-man.

- What shall we do? – inquired Yunsung.

- Ask for directions, of course. I'm sure someone will help us to find the way to Nepal.

So they were doing so for weeks, travelling the great distance between Korea and Nepal. Mi-na suggested they should ask the soldiers, but Olcadan and Yunsung didn'd trust them.

Finally, a month and a half later, they were crossing the frontier, which they did much easier than the first time, because they had Li Long's name.

However, they had to make sure that they did it with Olcadan in his owl form, because if a person who theoretically wasn't in the country left it, they would be in a big problem.

Once in Nepal, Mi-na and Yunsung felt at home again, because its population was more similar to Korea's.

Now, they only had to find out where Ling-Sheng Su Temple was.


	80. Chapter 79: Risky paths

**Chapter 79: Risky paths**

If Mi-na and Yunsung were shocked at China's enormous population; Talim, who had always lived with her little tribe, was even more surprised at it.

Furthermore, her clothes made people look at her suspiciously, as if she were a rarity, which made Talim feel very uncomfortable.

She also had to deal with the whistles of young (and not so young) men, since her clothing was designed for Southeast Asia's heat and the girl was in her late teens. Anyway, she didn't know what those whistles meant, so she understood them as another sign of rejection.

However, she didn't care about it. She was only worried about the source of evil energy which was laying waste all over the world.

Even in the very busy Chinese cities, her instinct seemed to know where to go.

However, people's distrust wouldn't be Talim's worst problem in China.

**...**

Probably, her most distressing experience happened one night, when she was walking on a desert path (something unusual in China, but more frequent at night and outside the cities). She found a man sleeping on a bench, who seemed to have gone without eating for days, and she decided to help him.

As soon as she approached him, she could perceive a smell which was a mixture of alcohol, dirt and the tramp's breath.

Talim wondered if she should wake that man up. She thought that he had probably slept little and he could awake in a bad mood.

So she decided to leave some supplies beside him so that he would find them when he woke up.

She was putting some fruit by his lap when he seemed to notice her presence and slowly opened his eyes.

- Am I already dead? – he said when he saw her.

- Don't say that. – she replied with a slight smile, but a serious look.

- If you are not an angel, who are you?

- Just a girl passing by. – answered Talim, taking importance away from the question.

- What are you doing?

- I thought you needed to eat. – she said raising a piece of fruit to show it to him.

For the first time since he had awakened, the man opened his eyes completely. He sat up and picked up the piece of fruit, surprised at Talim's offering. He looked at her eyes and she smiled indicating that he could eat.

He took the piece of fruit to his mouth and ate it in less time than it had taken him to sit up. Talim immediately offered him another one, and the tramp had eaten eight pieces of fruit when he said that it was enough.

When he had finished eating, the man noticed Talim's appearance, and then his kindness disappeared.

- You're beautiful. – he said, keeping his eyes on her body.

- Thank you. – answered the naive girl.

He stretched out one of his arms and started caressing one of Talim's arms with his filthy fingers.

The girl shuddered, and she had various reasons to do so: the man's hand was very cold, it was the first time a man was touching her like that and, despite her innocence, she knew that there was something wrong about that, particularly at night and in a desert place.

First, he touched her gently, but he did it more roughly each time, until Talim decided to move away from him.

That changed the man's face, which turned from spellbound to angry.

- I'd been a long time without eating, but…I've been even a longer time without a woman's company. – he claimed, scaring Talim. – Particularly with such a pretty one.

Talim started to move away from him, walking backwards, looking at him in fear.

- I think I…I should keep walking. – she mumbled.

- You gave me food out of pity. – he replied. – Why don't you help me with my other needs?

Then, the man stood up, startling Talim, who tripped and fell to the ground.

He ran towards her while she tried to stand up. He reached her soon, and he grabbed her arms and immobilized her against the ground.

- Please…Please, let me go. – she pleaded, crying.

- Calm down, sweetheart. – he whispered. - I don't want to hurt you, I just want to have fun.

He kissed her cheek with his disgusting mouth, making her scream.

He tried to do the same on her lips, but she moved her face away.

- So you aren't cooperating... – said the man with pretended disappointment. – Then I have no other choice than doing it my way.

Talim kicked about to try to get rid of him, but it was useless.

She closed her eyes, thinking that everything was lost, when she heard a female voice.

- Take your loathsome hands off her. – yelled a woman, harshly.

Talim soon felt her attacker moving away.

She opened her eyes and saw what had disuaded him. The woman, who had European features, had put her sword on the man's neck.

Now it was him who was crying and pleading for his life.

- Kill you? That would be boring, and it would finish your suffering. – blurted out the woman. – I should hurt you…somehow else.

She moved her sword and pointed it at the man's inner thigh. His face turned even more scared.

- No, please! No! – he yelled, while the woman raised her sword to hit him.

She wasn't going to be stopped by his pleas. However, when she was about to do it, something did stop her.

- Don't! – yelled Talim.

The other woman looked at her as if she had said something in an unknown language.

- What?

- Don't hurt him. Let him go. – said the priestess.

- But…don't you know what he was about to do to you?

- I know. But now he is defenceless. Taking advantage of it would be to lower ourselves to his level. Revenge doesn't solve anything.

The woman's face turned more serious. She didn't seem to agree with Talim.

- Furthermore, he is desperate. He didn't even have anything to eat. Who knows what we would dare to do in his situation?

- He attacked you, so it's your decision. But I think you're too good.

She looked at the man as if he were a rat. Even worse, as if he were a rat excrement.

- Go. – she ordered.

He didn't react.

- NOW!

The man stood up and dashed out.

The woman sheathed her sword and approached Talim.

- If you ever find a man like that again, you already know what to do. And please, be more careful.

- Thank you for helping me.

- You're welcome. Nowadays, if we women didn't help each other, what would become of us?

- I really don't know very well what's happening nowadays.

- Why?

- I'm from a tribe that has little to do with this civilization.

- What's your name?

- Talim.

- I'm Setsuka. So, Talim, why did you leave your tribe to get in here?

Talim wanted to tell her about her dreams, the evil energy and the instinct guiding her. However, she feared that Setsuka could consider her insane, so she just answered:

- You wouldn't understand.

- Fine... – said Setsuka, without insisting.

- And you? Why are you here? Your features don't seem to be from here.

Setsuka also had her own past to tell. Because this Setsuka was the same whose father had been killed by Heishiro. The same Setsuka who had killed Edgar. And the same Setsuka who was now following her father's killer in order to end what she had begun.

She also wanted to tell Talim about it, but she remembered that the priestess didn't like revenge, so she said:

- I think you wouldn't understand either.


	81. Chapter 80: A traveller's biography

**Chapter 80: A traveller's biography**

- So…how does a man with African features end up working at an Ukrainian inn? – asked Raphael to his new fellow traveller.

- I have always lived in Europe. – he answered. – My family was from Morocco, and they moved to Spain before I was born. When I came of age, I decided to travel and see the world, so I've travelled along most of the continent. About eight years ago, I got tired of travelling and I bought the inn. Now I'm possessed by this damned Seed and I was waiting for someone like you who would help me to do something to put an end to it.

- Where did you get the money to buy the inn from? Africa is a poor continent, and if you spent your time travelling, you could hardly have a regular job.

- My parents became quite rich while in Spain. They set up business and they made enough money to provide me with a more than decent life. When I started travelling, they were already dead. – retold the inkeeper.

- You probably began by France…maybe Portugal.

- That's right. I began by France and, really, I have never been in Portugal. Once I left France, I never went back.

- It's a nice country. Have you visited Paris?

- Of course. How could I possibly not do it?

- Notre Dame Cathedral looks impressive, doesn't it?

- Yes, it does.

- By the way…I still don't know your name.

- I'm Zasalamel. – answered the African man.

- Well, Zasalamel... – said Raphael and then his face changed. – Why are you lying?

Zasalamel, who was walking ahead of Raphael, stopped and turned around, confused.

- What?

- You lied to me. There is at least one thing in your story that is not true.

- I don't know what you mean.

- The construction of Notre Dame Cathedral was finished about 15 years ago. You seem to be in your forties. – he explained. – If you started travelling at the age of 18, and you began by France, there were still more than ten years left for the cathedral to be finished. So, if you never went back to France, how do you know that it is beautiful?

Zasalamel doubted for a few seconds. He finally answered:

- I've seen it depicted in books. Furthermore, I could see it although it wasn't finished yet.

Raphael didn't seem to believe him.

- Why would I lie to you? – asked Zasalamel, smiling.

The French man didn't know what to answer, so he just said:

- I'll keep an eye on you.


	82. Chapter 81: The clue

**Chapter 81: The clue**

When Cervantes' ship, which was now commanded by Rock, arrived back in Spain, the first thing Ivy and Rock saw when they disembarked was the sailor who had helped them, running towards them.

- Heey! – he yelled while approaching them at full speed.

- What happens? – exclaimed Rock.

The sailor stopped beside them, panting, and he handed them a folded piece of paper.

- What's this? – asked Rock, picking it up.

- I don't know. A hooded man gave it to me and told me not to unfold it. He said that I just had to give it to you.

Rock looked at the piece of paper suspiciously.

- How did he know that we would come back?

- I don't know. – repeated the sailor.

- Unfold it, Rock. – said Ivy.

The captain did it reluctantly.

- What on earth is this? – he asked, showing it to Ivy.

The piece of paper depicted a sort of path. There were some handwritten words all over it.

- Toledo, Paris, Berlin... – she read. – These are European capitals. I think this is a map, or something like that.

Fortunately for Rock, who remembered as far as his life in America, Ivy was an educated and well-read person, so she had understood the words he hadn't.

- A map? – asked Rock. – To where?

Ivy continued reading to herself.

- The last word is New Delhi. – said Ivy. - India.

- Where is that?

Ivy looked at his eyes.

- Far. – she answered. – We should go back to the ship and gather more supplies. Fortunately, I'm the only one who needs them.

- I'm not very sure about this, Ivy... What if this is a trap?

- A trap or not, it's our only clue to follow.

- You're right. We'll take Cervantes with us. I don't want to leave him alone.

- Do you think that will be safe?

- Alan will keep him under control. Calm down, we won't let him hurt you.

- Thank you. – replied Ivy smiling.

- We'd better start moving.

Rock went back to the ship to let the crew know about his plans and to gather supplies and weapons.

Ivy addressed the sailor:

- You've helped us a lot. – she said. – I belong to a distinguished family. I have a high sum of money in a bank, in London. When all this finishes, I'll have you in mind.

- Oh, that won't be necessary, miss. I just wanted to help.

- I think you deserve it. Do you have a family?

He nodded.

- A wife and three children. We're not rich, but we don't starve either.

- Anyway, I'm sure that money will suit you well.

- If you insist...

- I really hope to see you again. – said Ivy before heading back to the ship.

- Wait! – yelled the sailor.

- Yes? – replied Ivy, stopping.

- Good luck. And if you ever need me again, I'll be right in here.

Ivy smiled and she finally went back onto the ship.


	83. Chapter 82: A not so painful wound

**Chapter 82: A not so painful wound**

When Max was fully recovered, he retold his story to Kilik and Xianghua, and they did the same.

They soon realized they had the same goal, so they decided to continue their journey together. However, they soon realized too that they had no idea where to go.

Kilik and Maxi got along very well. They had a lot of things in common. For example, they were both proud with other men and very respectful with women.

They used to fight against each other to train themselves, and Xianghua amused herself watching them.

Since they didn't have a fixed course, they moved quite relaxed, and they didn't travel more than ten kilometers a day.

For the first time since Edge Master's death, Kilik and Xianghua had managed to forgot their sorrows and they felt happy again. It was the same for Maxi, who had recently lost his brother and his whole crew.

However, there was a little problem.

Another thing Kilik and Maxi had in common was their good taste for women, and the pirate soon noticed Xianghua's beauty.

He decided to hide it and not to try anything, because he knew that Kilik and Xianghua were happy together and he felt he had no right to interfere**, **but she was so pretty… He really made an effort to get rid of that thought.

Maxi was, in fact, a handsome man too. He could even have started a relationship with Xianghua if it weren't because of Kilik.

Everything went on normally until an accident happened.

**...**

One evening, while Kilik and Maxi were fighting and Xianghua was watching them as usual, the Nepalese failed to gauge a blow correctly and inflicted a deep wound on one side of Maxi's abdomen.

Maxi fell to the ground, in pain and bleeding. Kilik quickly dropped his staff and bent down to help him.

- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!

- Ugh! – complained the Japanese. – I know, don't worry.

- Where did I hit you?

- Below my ribs. I think I'm bleeding. – answered Maxi with a painful expression, but trying to keep calm**.**

- Xianghua, help me to take his shirt off.

Both of themremoved Maxi's shirt, thus showing his brawny upper body**, **which was covered in scars and had a deep wound where Kilik had hit him.

- It doesn't look well. – said Kilik.

- I assure you it looks even worse from here. – replied Maxi.

- Xianghua... Do you know how to go back to the village?

- Ehm... – she doubted. – I…I don't know.

Kilik sighed.

- Ok, I'll go. Take care of him.

- Sure.

Kilik stood up.

- Kilik…

- Yes?

- Don't take long**, **please.

- Don't worry. I'll run as fast as I can. Maybe that wound is more serious than we think**.**

Xianghua lowered her head, because Kilik hadn't understood the reason of her request.

- I should be here in two hours, more or less. See you.

He dashed out.

Xianghua looked at Kilik until he grumbled in pain.

The girl bent down to take care of him.

- Does it hurt a lot? – she asked.

Maxi smiled

- Quite a lot, yes. – he claimed. – But believe me, I've been worse.

- When?

- For example, I was once stabbed in my leg during a naval battle. – retold Maxi. – Fortunately, we had a good doctor on board and no deaths had to be regretted.

- Was it so serious?

- No, I meant that HISdeath did not have to be regretted.I would have stood up and thrown him over the rail for his incompetence.

They both laughed, although Xianghua's stomach was upset.

- Listen, I think you should cleanthe wound. – suggested Maxi. – It may become infected.

- You're right.

Xianghua stood up and searched among their supplies. She took out the canteen she had used with Maxi before.

She approached him again.

- What shall apply the water with?

- We need some soft cloth… Is there something like that amongour supplies?

- No. –moaned Xianghua regretfully. – The only thing made of cloth are the bags, but they're too rough.

- Oh…

- Wait, I have an idea.

- What is it?

Xianghua grabbed the lower edge of her shirt and make a move as to take it off**, **but Maxi hurried to stop her with a signal.

- No, no, no! That isn't necessary.

- What's the problem? It's made smooth cloth… Furthermore, it isn't very cold here.

- But…what would Kilik say?

- He would say that he should hurt you more often. – mocked Xianghua, and they both laughed again. - I'm serious! Come on, I don't mind!

- If you insist…

The girl took her shirt off. Now her upper body was just covered by her underwear.

Maxi did his best not to look at her, but as soon as he felt Xianghua's wet shirt on his wound, he couldn't prevent himself from doing it.

- Don't worry, Maxi. I'm watching you as well.

- But…it isn't the same.

- Why? – asked the girl, looking at his eyes.

At that moment, Maxi thought about telling her what his feelings for her was the reason why it wasn't the same.

However, good sense prevailed and he just said:

- Never mind.

The girl didn't insist and finished cleaning his , she left her shirt to dry for some minutes and finally she put it on again.

Three hours later, Maxi and Xianghua in despair**, **Kilik came back along with a doctor.

The doctor treated Maxi's wound and said that if he rested**, **he would be good as new in a few hours.

The doctor headed back to the village and the three friends stayed there that night.

The next morning, they continued their journey without any further trouble.


	84. Chapter 83: Visiting Emperor Ming

**Chapter 83: Visiting Emperor Ming**

Everybody was sleeping at Ming's imperial palace.

Even the emperor, who had gone to sleep one more night without having received any news about Soul Edge's whereabouts.

The Emperor Ming was a very old man. He had ruled for a lot of years.

Hehad once beena wise and fair man, respected as much within his empire as outside it.

However, power corrupted him little by little, and he was now an unscrupulous man**, **who would do anything in order to get more power or wealth.

He had even hadsome of his own men executed for being incompetent. Not a long a time ago, he had discovered a traitor in his ranks, Chai Zhang, and he had ordered his murder, regardless of his many years at his service or the fact that he would leave a girl orphan.

That night wouldn't be like any other for Emperor Ming.

He was sleeping alone on his big bed (he had never got married) when he felt something covering his mouth.

That made him wake up. He tried to cry out but a hand covering his mouth prevented him from doing so.

- Don't shout. – said a sinister voice, quietly. – I'm here to help you.

The emperor groaned.

- If you promise not to shout, I'll release you. Do you promise?

The emperor nodded, nervously.

The other man released him and he could finally look at him, although in the darkness.

However, he wouldn't have seen his face even in a desert in broad daylight**. **He was hooded.

- Who are you? How do you dare…?

- That doesn't matter. I know you're looking for Soul Edge, and I can help you.

- What? How? Do you know where Soul Edge is?

- No, but I have a clue. Someone left it to me, but I don't know how to interpret it**. **I'm sure that you or maybe one of your men will.

- What clue is that?

The hooded man took out a little box.

- Here it is.

The emperor looked at the box suspiciously.

- How did you manage to avoid my guards?

The hooded man smiled, although the emperor couldn't see it.

- The same way I'll do when I get out of here.

- How? – insisted the emperor.

- That way. – said the hooded man pointing at the wall behind the emperor's bed.

The emperor looked there but he didn't see anything strange.

- There's no... – he stopped talking when he noticed that the hooded man had disappeared.

The emperor looked all around the room, but he didn't find a trace of him.

He quickly stood up and opened the door to talk to the guards who were watching over the room.

- Guards! I don't know how, but a hooded man entered my room and now he has escaped!

The two guards looked at each other, confused.

- Find him!

- What do we do then?

- What do you think? – asked the emperor ironically.

- Yes, sir!

The guards left quickly.

The emperor closed the door again and went back to his bed, where the little box the hooded man had left was.

He examined the box for a few seconds and he finally decided to open it.

As soon as he did so, a strange white powder came out from it, smoking.

The next morning, the guards found the emperor's dead body lying on the floor. Beside him, there was a little empty box.

However, when they looked inside it more carefully, they found a message written on the bottom of the box. It said: _"Anyone who keeps going after Soul Edge, will soon be keeping the emperor company."_


	85. Chapter 84: Three stories

**Chapter 84: Three stories**

Mi-na, Yunsung and Olcadan arrived at a small Nepalese village, where they expected to find some information regarding Ling-Sheng Su Temple.

They asked every person they met, but nobody knew anything about it.

However, a passerby told them something useful.

- If I were you, I would look for the doctor. He is a well-read person, he surely knows something about that temple.

- Where can we find him? – asked Yunsung.

- He lives outside the village. Hesees his patients there,and he doesn't like to be interrupted, so you'd better go later, because at this timehe would probably be taking care of them.

Following his advice, Mi-na, Yunsung and Olcadan decided to wait until night time, when the doctor would probably be not so busy.

Meanwhile, they parted to poke around the village, after agreeing to meet at the central square before it got dark.

Mi-na went to aclothing storein order to look for some dresses (she had been wearing the same three pieces of clothing for months), but unfortunately she didn't have enough money to buy anything.

Olcadan, since it was daytime, was in his owl form, so he flew over the placelooking for something interesting. However, the most interesting thing he saw was a flock grazing.

Finally, Yunsung decided that it was a good moment to train himself again, something he hadn't done for a long time.

**...**

So he left the village throughthe same way they had entered it and he got into the forest in order not to bother anybody.

Something interesting would happen to him indeed, but he surely had preferred it not to happen.

He had been training for about forty-five minutes when he heard something moving among the trees around him. He stopped and listened more carefully.

He suspiciously raised his saber to defend himself against any danger.

- Who's there? – he yelled.

He didn't get any answer.

- Whoever you are… If you try to do any harm, I swear I'll slice your neck with my saber.

- Do you mean MY saber? – asked a voice behind his back.

When Yunsung turned around, he was punched in his face and fell to the ground, dropping the saber.

His attacker picked it up and sheathed it.

- Don't worry, I didn't miss it too much. – he said, mockingly.

Yunsung soon recognized Hwang's arrogant voice.

- What are you doing here? – asked the youngster from the ground.

- Did you think that I was going to give up? That I would stop following you?

Yunsung stood up quickly and confronted Hwang.

- Did you really travel so far just to get Mi-na back?

Hwang looked at him with contempt,but he didn't answer his question.

- Wait a moment... You didn't come here for Mi-na, right? You're following us to reach Soul Edge.

- It seems like you are smarter than I've thought. – said Hwang. – It's a pity that it hasn't been of any use to you.

He made a signal with his hand and two other men came out from the trees. They grabbed Yunsung and immobilized him, forcing him to kneel down.

Hwang unsheathed his saber again and put it on Yunsung's chin.

- You're moving away from Mi-na. You won't see her again. You are going away the same way you've come here through and you're not saying goodbye. – he ordered.

- Or what? – replied Yunsung insolently.

- What do you think?

Yunsung looked at Hwang as if he were the most despicable being in the world.

- Understand me, Yunsung. I'm following directorders from the master.

- Did the master order you to kill me?

- Yes, if you don't leave Mi-na in peace.

- She's better with me than she has ever been. I'm not moving away from her.

- Are you sure, boy?

- Completely. – asserted the youngster looking at him with hatred.

Hwang sighed.

- So we're solving this in a nasty way, right?

Yunsung didn't answer. He just lowered his head.

- It's okay. Believe me, I didn't want to reach this far.– claimed Hwang, with a more serious tone.

He looked around and, when he saw there wasn't anybody there, he finally said:

- Kill him.

**...**

At night, Mi-na and Olcadan were at the central square just like they had started to feel worried about Yunsung's lateness.

- That blockheadhas probably lost the sense of time fighting against a tree. – said Olcadan, who was already in his owl-man form. – We should go without him. He'll reach us.

- I'm not sure, Olcadan. What if something wrong has happened to him?

- What could have possibly happened to him? A revengeful tree? An angry sheep? This village is harmless, Mi-na.

- Yes, but…I'm restless.

- Okay, let's do this: I'll start moving while you wait for him.

- Fine. But be careful.

- Don't worry, I can take care of myself.

Without saying any more words, the owl-man started walking quickly towards the doctor's house.

Mi-na waited. Ten minutes. Half an hour. One hour. Yunsung continued missing.

She had been waiting for one hour and a half (though it seemed three hours to her) when something happened.

A boy arrived at the village, running at full speed.

When he saw Mi-na, he stopped.

- Hey! Where does the doctor live?

- What? – said a surprised Mi-na.

- The doctor! – yelled the boy. – I was training in the forest along with a friend and I hit him. He's wounded.

- Did you leave him alone?

- No, no. My girlfriend is taking care of him. So, do you know where the doctor lives?

- Eh…yes. –finally answered Mi-na. – He lives outside the village. That way.

She pointed at the way Olcadan had taken.

- Thank you. – he replied before starting to run again.

- My name is Mi-na, by the way! – she exclaimed.

- I'm Kilik! – he yelled as he got out of sight.

**...**

Meanwhile, Olcadan was about to arrive at the doctor's house when something stopped him.

- Olcadan! – said someone.

The owl-man turned around and saw the hooded man.

- You again! What are you doing here?

- I've information regarding Soul Edge. – he claimed.

- What?

- You remember the Lost Cathedral, don't you?

- Ah? Yes, of course.

- Fine. You must forget Ling-Sheng Su Temple. There's nothing left in there.

- Nothing left? Did Edge Master tell you where the temple is?

- He didn't say to me more than to you.

- Then…how do you know that?

- Because Edge Master is dead.

- What?

That revelationshocked Olcadan. Few things surprised him, but that one had taken him completely by surprise.

- I found his corpse during one of my journeys looking for Soul Edge. – retold the hooded man. – But I also found something useful. Apparently, he was going to the Lost Cathedal. I'm sure there's something in there.

- Why don't you check it out yourself, Zasalamel?

- Because I don't dare to handle Soul Edge unless there's someone near who can have a solution if things go out of control.

Olcadan doubted for a few seconds.

- Okay. I'll go.

- I'm glad to hear that. See you soon. – said the hooded man. – Atthe Lost Cathedral.

After saying that, the hooded man disappeared right before Olcadan's eyes,but he didn't seem to be surprised at this.

While he headed back to the village, Olcadan came across a boy who was also looking for the doctor. The owl-man showed him the way.

He had no idea, but that boy had come from the very Ling-Sheng Su Temple, and he had been Edge Master's best pupil.


	86. Chapter 85: Beyond the frontier

**Chapter 85: Beyond the frontier**

After what had happened when they crossed the frontier, the relationship between Heishiro and the rest of the group had become tighter.

Sophitia and Cassandra barely talked to him, while Taki did it with more distrust than already knew what Heishiro was capable of, but she hadn't expected him to kill a man who was begging for mercy.

Another uncomfortable thing about their journey was that they didn't even know in which country they were at that moment.

However, they had travelled just about two kilometers inland when they saw a hooded man standing still, who seemed to be looking at them.

As soon as Heishiro saw him, he made a signal to his men and the three women to make them stop.

- What's going on? – inquired Taki.

- That bastard... He attacked me at the same inn where we met.

- How can you be sure? He's hooded.

- That's exactly why I can recognize him.

The rest of the group reached them and saw what was happening.

- What shall we do? – asked one of Heishiro's men.

- Kill him. – ordered the samurai, without any doubt.

- If I were you, I wouldn't do that, Heishiro. – said the hooded man.

- Why not?

- First, because it would be useless. In the second place, because if someone is dying here today, that won't be me. And last… - he stopped talking for a few seconds. - …because I have information regarding Soul Edge.

- What?

- I know where you can find it. And that's much nearer than Germany, where you are going. In fact, it's right here, in India.

- This is India? – suddenly asked Cassandra.

- Soul Edge…is in here? – said Heishiro ignoring her.

- That's right. There's a place…the Lost Cathedral… It's not far from here. But it's not easy to find. – answered the hooded man.

Heishiro unsheathed his katana and jumped on him, knocking him down, and then he put his sword's blade on the hooded man's neck.

- You are leading us there.

- That's what I meant to do. – replied the hooded man, calmed despite Heishiro's attack. – But there's a little problem.

- What is it? – grumbled the samurai.

- Not all of you can come.

- What do you mean?

- I'll only take you... – he raised his hand and pointed at Taki, Cassandra and Sophitia. – ...and the three women.

- Why? – inquired Heishiro.

- It's a long story.

Heishiro sighed and stood up, releasing the hooded man.

- All right.

He addressed his men.

- Listen to me, guys! Your job ends here. Go back to the ship and take the treasures in the hold as your payment.

- What? What happened? – asked the man with the higher rank.

- I don't need you any more. It's been a pleasure to travel along with you.

- That goes without saying... – said Cassandraflirtingwith one of Heishiro's men.

- You can go with them if you want to. – replied Sophitia, and her sister never knew if she was talking serious or just kidding.

- No! – hurried to yell the hooded man. – She must come.

- Don't worry. I'm not leaving my sister alone. – said Cassandra, more seriously than ever.

- What do we do to cross the frontier again? – asked one of Heishiro's men. – Maybe there are new guards.

- They'll ask you again to surrender your weapons. Do it. That will be the best way to avoid problems.

- Fine.

- See you.

- Good luck, captain.

Heishiro's men bowed, one of them kissed Cassandra's hand, and they left.

When they were gone, Heishiro addressed the hooded man again:

- Come on.

At that very moment, the hooded man did something removed his hood. He was a bald man, his skin was dark and he had a gold tooth and a sinister glare in his eyes.

- Follow me. – he said.

When they had walked a few meters, they met a blond man who had the same glare in the eyes than the now un-hooded man.

- I'll introduce you. These are Heishiro, Sophitia, Cassandra and Taki.

The blond man nodded.

- And this is Raphael.


	87. Chapter 86: The boy in the forest

**Chapter 86: The boy in the forest**

Kilik, Maxi and Xianghua continued with their journey after visiting the Nepalese village. They had to stop more than usual, due to Maxi's convalescence, so they travelled even more slowly than before.

They were still near the village.

The day after Maxi was wounded, while they were about to have lunch, something happened.

As usual, Kilik was picking up fruit from the trees (Maxi did the same when he was healthy) and Xianghua was preparing the pieces her boyfriend gave to her.

- I'm not disabled, I can climb a tree. – complained Maxi. – The doctor said I would be fine in a few hours.

- Anyway, your wound still hurts. You are not moving from there. – ordered Xianghua.

- Huh! What I told you was true. I was stabbed in my leg and I was about to die. However, two days later I was fighting again.

Xianghua looked at him both surprised and suspiciously, not knowing if he was exaggerating.

- How are you getting on with that, Kilik? – asked the Japanese pirate.

- I don't understand it... – answered the other man from the top of a tree.

- What is it? – inquired Maxi.

- These trees are almost fruitless. At this time of the year, they should be full of it.

- Maybe there's someone else picking it up. – said Xianghua.

- Who could possibly be doing that? – asked Maxi.

They didn't think any more about it and they had to content themselves with two pieces of fruit for the three of them.

- I'm still hungry. – complained Xianghua when they finished eating.

- Really? – replied Maxi mockingly, although he looked at her with pity.

- Okay, I'll go into the forest. There I'll probably find something else. – proposed Kilik.

- Fine, but be careful. – said his girlfriend.

- I will be.

He stood up and got among the trees which he had climbed before.

Walking inside the forest was difficult, because the vegetation hindered the progress and the vision.

Kilik had walked about half a kilometer when he could see something moving at the top of a tree.

He thought it would possibly be an animal. However, he decided to yell in case it was a person.

- Is there anybody there?

A young boy jumped from the tree, surprising Kilik.

The youngster seemed to be sad, maybe frightened. He had removed his shirt and was using it as a bag, where he was carrying some apples.

However, the most disturbing thing about him was that he had his hands covered in blood

- Who are you? – asked Kilik.

- And you? – replied the other man, insolently.

- Well, I asked before, but I have no problem with introducing myself. I'm Kilik.

- Do you come from the village?

- Yes. I'm not from there, but I was there yesterday.

- Did you see a girl there? Beautiful, brown-haired, wearing a plait…

Kilik thought about it and a person came to his mind:

- Yes, yes. I even talked to her. She said her name was Mi-na.

The boy's face lit up.

- Why? Do you know her?

- She's waiting for me. – he said in relief, although he seemed to be talking more to himself than to Kilik. – She's waiting for me.

- Well, I was there yesterday, maybe…

- Listen, you have to take me back there.

- Don't you know how to go back?

- Well, I just am…misguided.

- You'll see, I don't have much time…

- Please.

Kilik thought about it.

- Ok, I'll take you. But you have to tell me what you are doing here…and why your hands are covered in blood.

- Em…I guess that's fair.

- Oh, and your name too.

- Yunsung. – he answered. – I'm Yunsung.

- Fine, Yunsung. I'm not travelling alone. I'll take you with my friends, we will all eat together… - when he said that, he pointed at the apples Yunsung was carrying. - …and then we'll take you back to the village.

Yunsung nodded and the two boys started walking.


	88. Chapter 87: What happened to Yunsung

**Chapter 87: What happened to Yunsung**

Hwang's henchmen had put a bandage over Yunsung's eyes in order to misguide him. When they removed it, Yunsung could see that he had been taken into the forest, probably to be killed without witnesses. Furthermore, they had tied his hands at his back.

Hwang hadn't followed them. He had probably gone to the village to find Mi-na.

Yunsung didn't know what was worse: that Mi-na could have left without him or that she could be still waiting for him and Hwang reached her.

Anyway, Yunsung was about to be executed, so both possibilities were useless to him.

One of Hwang's men grabbed Yunsung's neck.

- Any last words, boy?

Yunsung replied spitting at his face.

The henchman, furious, unsheathed his saber and was about to slice Yunsung's neck when the other one grabbed his arm and stopped him.

- Wait, wait! Don't you think this is going too far?

- Too far? What is going too far?

- Do you really want to kill this boy? Months ago he was just a pupil at the dojo.

- Yes, that was months ago. Now he's just a deserter who ran away along with the master's daughter.

- Is that reason enough to kill him?

- Be it or not, those are the master's orders. We can't disobey them.

- Are you sure about that?

- What?

- How do you know that Hwang didn't make it up? He hates the boy.

- Hwang's not that kind of person. – replied the other henchman, although he didn't seem very convinced of it. – So, if you don't want to kill him, I'll do it myself.

- Don't do it. We're not killers. Our job is to protect the dojo, not to kill pupils.

- By killing him we're protecting the master's daughter, who is much more important than the dojo.

- Protecting her? – complained Yunsung. – She's fine with me. In fact, I'm with her because I don't want her to travel on her own. I came to protect her!

- Shut up or I'll cut your tongue off! – yelled the man who wanted to kill him.

- Why don't we just…abandon him? – suggested the henchman who wanted to save his life. – He's confused. He doesn't know how to get back to the village. Hwang will reach Mi-na much sooner than him.

The other man thought about it for a few seconds, but he finally said:

- That's not what we were ordered to do.

After saying that, he approached Yunsung and raised his saber.

Yunsung closed his eyes in order not to see the blow which would finish his life, but then he listened a war cry and, when he opened his eyes again, he saw the two henchmen struggling.

It seemed as if the man who wanted to save his life had jumped onto the other one.

The saber of the man who wanted to kill him had fallen to the ground, near Yunsung. Meanwhile, the two henchmen were fighting about the other man's saber.

Yunsung hurried to approach the fallen saber walking on his knees.

Once there, he turned around and used the weapon's sharp edge to set himself free.

He picked up the saber (because Hwang had taken his) and dashed out as fast as he could.

Short after, he felt that he was being chased, so he supposed that the man who wanted to kill him had overpowered the other one, and maybe even killed him.

Unfortunately, Yunsung was running in the middle of the forest, and he soon stumbled over a tree's root and fell.

He dropped his saber, and when he went back to pick it up again, his pursuer reached him.

- Here you are.

Yunsung grabbed the saber and confronted the henchman. He had decided that running would be useless.

- So you're fighting, huh? Do you really think that a brat like you can beat a man who has been trained for years?

- We'll have to check it.

The henchman didn'd say any more words and he attacked Yunsung.

The youngster reacted moving away, so the man just hit the air.

For some minutes, they were exchanging blows but they didn't manage to inflict the other one more than a scratch.

Suddenly, Yunsung's foe made a movement which surprised him, kicking his arm and sending his saber flying.

- Now there's nobody here to save you. – said the henchman.

Yunsung started walking backwards to move away from him without losing sight of him, until his back hit a tree's trunk.

The henchman followed him and he quickly delivered a blow to Yunsung with his saber.

However, the youngster managed to avoid it and the saber got stuck to the trunk.

The henchman didn't manage to pull it out, so Yunsung took advantage of his opportunity and punched his face, making him fall to the ground.

The two men, now both disarmed, struggled on the floor and rolled over it.

Finally, they came across the saber which Yunsung had first lost.

The henchman was the first to notice it, so he picked it up and tried to stab the youngster with it, but Yunsung managed to seize his arms and prevent him from doing so.

Then, Yunsung hit the henchman's hand and the saber was sent flying again.

The boy, instead of keeping on struggling, got rid of his foe and ran towards the weapon.

The henchman ran after him, but he had already lost the battle.

When he reached Yunsung, the youngster had already picked the saber up, which he used to surprisingly slice the other man's neck.

The henchman fell to the ground, lifeless, and his blood was spattered all over Yunsung's saber and hands.

The youngster, who was horrified about having killed a man, dropped the murder weapon and dashed away at full speed.

Then, he wandered through the forest the rest of the day and part of the following, picking up fruit, until Kilik found him.


	89. Chapter 88: Cervantes' tongue

**Chapter 88: Cervantes' tongue**

A group of zombies who can become invisible and a woman don't need many resources, so they travel quite fast.

One week after they started their journey they arrived in Paris, three days later in Berlin and a week and a half later in Moscow.

Rock and Ivy led the group, because he was the captain and she was the guide.

Close to them, Alan dragged Cervantes, who was wrapped in chains.

Finally, the whole zombie crew followed them.

Cervantes was continuously making malicious remarks, such as "You don't have an idea where you're going" or "You know as well as me that this is probably a trap".

Rock got to think about cutting the pirate's tongue off, but Ivy disuaded him stating that he could still have some information to provide.

However, the most useful thing Cervantes said during the journey was a "You should wrap up" to Ivy, when they entered Russia.

They were already in Asia when Cervantes' umpteeth provocation exasperated Rock, and he ordered Alan to cut the ex-captain's tongue off.

- Wait... – said Ivy.

- Do it, Alan. – ordered Rock.

- Are you sure, captain? – asked Alan, who obviously didn't want to do it.

- Absolutely. Now there's only one way he can harm us: talking. So we must prevent him from doing so.

- You could gag me. – suggested Cervantes mockingly, but talking seriously.

Rock smiled ironically and made a signal to Alan, ordering him to cut his tongue.

Alan sighed and unsheathed a knife.

- Can I ask you something, William? – said Cervantes.

- What is it? – grumbled Rock.

- You were on the boat where I killed your parents, weren't you?

Rock was surprised, because he hadn't expected a question like that.

- Yes. – he finally answered.

- I should have killed you when I could. Do you know why I didn't? Do you know why my crew didn't find you?

- They weren't looking for me, I guess. – replied Rock.

- Well, that's right. However, your father almost blundered before he died.

- What do you mean?

- During his last conversation with your mother, I could hear him say: "What will become of William?". – retold the pirate. – That's how I learnt that you existed.

Rock was carefully listening to Cervantes.

- Fortunately for you, your mother was much more intelligent than him. She hurried to say: "Thank goodness we left him at home".

Rock's eyes were becoming tearful.

- Your mother saved your life. If she hadn't said that…if she hadn't lied….my crew would have looked for you. They would have found you. And they would have killed you.

- Why are you telling me this? – asked Rock, who was already crying.

- I just wanted you to know that my tongue does not only harm.

Rock sighed and dried his tears with his shirt's sleeve.

- Gag him. – he finally said.

Cervantes smiled, just before Alan put a cloth in his mouth.

And they continued their journey…


	90. Chapter 89: In search of Yunsung

**Chapter 89: In search of Yunsung**

Mi-na waited for Yunsung for a long while.

However, when Olcadan came back, the boy hadn't showed up yet.

- Are you still here? – said the owl-man when he saw Mi-na at the same place where he had left her.

- Yunsung hasn't arrived yet. I'm sure something wrong happened to him.

- If that brings you calm, I'll go in search of him. If I don't find him, I could fly over the place tomorrow in the morning.

Mi-na smiled at his offer.

- But you must rest. I'm sure there's an inn around here.

- I'm not sure whether I'll be able to sleep a wink with this concern in my mind.

- You must be exhausted. Just try not to think about it and you'll fall asleep soon.

- I'll try. – she replied, not very convinced.

- Come on, go. - said Olcadan, who would have smiled if he had had a mouth instead of a beak.

- Come and seek me as soon as you find something, okay?

Olcadan nodded and the girl left.

The owl-man was about to start his search when he heard somebody talking to him.

- Hey, you!

It was a man who was probably in his thirties.

- What do you want?

- What do you know about Soul Edge?

When Olcadan saw that man closely, he recognized him: he was the man he knocked out the night he met Mi-na and Yunsung.

- Nothing that I will tell you. – answered the owl-man

- Won't you? – replied Hwang unsheathing a saber.

- Do you think you can beat me just because you have a mere…

He stopped talking because he noticed something: that saber was Yunsung's.

- Where did you get that saber from?

- Nowhere that I will tell you. – said Hwang mockingly.

However, Olcadan reacted quickly: he jumped on Hwang, knocked him down, took the saber and put its blade on Hwang's neck.

- Where did you get it from? – he asked again.

Hwang gulped.

- I took it away from a man. – answered Hwang finally.

- Hong Yunsung? That man?

- Yes.

- What did you do with him?

Hwang didn't answer.

- What did you do with him? – yelled Olcadan.

- I ordered to kill him. – admitted Hwang, who was almost crying in despair. – I ordered to kill him.

Olcadan had a hood over his head to hide his owl-face, but if he hadn't, Hwang would have seen his angry eyes.

- Where is he?

- I don't know.

- WHERE IS HE?

- They took him into the forest.

Olcadan released Hwang and threw the saber to the floor.

- Fortunately for you, I'm not a murderer.

After saying that, he dashed out towards the forest.

However, Yunsung was continuously moving, so Olcadan didn't manage to find him and he decided to go back to the village and look for Mi-na. He was really furious at not having found the boy.

He asked for directions and found the village's inn.

The first thing he saw there didn't make his mood any better: Hwang was there too, drinking a beer at the bar. Luckily, he didn't notice the owl-man.

Olcadan questioned the innkeeper about Mi-na. The innkeeper told him that she was sleeping and gave him her room number.

Olcadan headed to the room and knocked at its door.

- Mi-na! – he said in a low voice.

He didn't get any answer, so he decided to let her rest and tell her the news the next morning.

However, he would become an owl in the morning, so he asked the innkeeper to tell Mi-na to stay in her room when she woke up.

He himself rented a room, although he could barely sleep (because of his worries but also because he hadn't slept on a bed for a long time).

**...**

When Olcadan woke up (really when he decided to get up, because he woke up many times during the night), he left his room flying through the window and flew over the place as he has promised Mi-na.

However, the forest was thicker than he had thought and he couldn't see anything.

So he had to wait again until it got dark to recover his human form and talk to Mi-na.

Before getting transformed he entered his room through the window again, because the innkeeper hadn't seen him leaving the inn.

As soon as the early moonlight flooded the room and he became human he headed to Mi-na's room.

This time she answered immediately, because it was still early night and she hadn't gone to sleep yet.

Olcadan entered the room, and as soon as Mi-na closed the door, she grabbed his arm and started talking in a loud voice:

- Olcadan! You were worrying me! Where have you been? Do you know anything about Yunsung?

- Something. – he answered sadly, although Mi-na couldn't notice it through his face, which was covered in feathers.

- What?

- I didn't find him, but I know what happened to him.

- Say it at once!

- You'll see…last night I met the man who was talking to you the night I met you.

- Hwang? Hwang is in here?

- Much closer than you think. He's right at this inn.

- Well, that doesn't matter. – lied Mi-na, because she wanted to see him again but, on the other side, she didn't want him to find her and bring her back home. – What does he have to do with Yunsung?

- He had his saber. – retold Olcadan. – I asked him how he had got it, and…

- And what? Tell me, Olcadan!

- He told me he had taken it from him before ordering to kill him.

Mi-na turned pale.

She left the room before Olcadan could react and confronted the innkeeper.

- Hey! What's Hwang Seong-Gyeong's room number?

- What?

- In which room is he?

- In…no one. – answered the innkeeper. – He was here last night, but he has already left.

At that moment, Olcadan arrived.

- Mi-na, what are you doing?

- He's gone. Hwang is gone!

- Take it easy. He can't be too far. He's only looking for two things: Soul Edge and you. The best way he has to find them both is to stay near here.

- You're right. But we have to find Yunsung NOW!

- There's nothing we can do. – said Olcadan. – If he's alive, he'll find the village sooner or later. If he isn't…

- He may be hurt! We must report to the authorities.

- If you mean the handful of scoundrels at the police station, I wouldn't count on them. – said the innkeeper.

- What shall we do? – asked Mi-na desperately.

- Don't worry. I've been at this village my whole life. I know the forest pretty well. I can help you.

- That would be great.

- But I need one of you to take care of the inn while I'm away.

- I'll do that. – said Olcadan.

- Fine. We'd better move now.

Mi-na and the innkeeper left and Olcadan stayed at the inn.

However, there was a hidden intention in his offer. He was sure that Hwang would come back soon.


	91. Chapter 90: The Lost Cathedral

**Chapter 90: The Lost Cathedral**

- Here it is, the Lost Cathedral. – said Zasalamel.

Before them (Zasalamel himself, Raphael, Heishiro, Taki, Sophitia and Cassandra) was an enormous stone cathedral, which looked very old, but it was well preserved.

- How can it be possible that we didn't see such a big thing from the distance? – asked Cassandra, although everyone was asking himself the same question.

- No wonder it is called the Lost Cathedral. – answered Zasalamel, smiling.

All of them gazed at the marvellous facade of the building.

- Why didn't you talk to me about this place before? – inquired Raphael.

- It was a surprise.

The six of them entered the cathedral. A lot of stained glass windows let the daylight in.

While they walked through the cathedral, the questioning began.

- How do you come to know this place? – asked Heishiro.

- I lived in here once.

- Here? So far from the civilization? – inquired Taki.

- I like being alone.

- Well, enough already! – said Heishiro. – Why have you brought us here? Where is Soul Edge?

- It must be about to arrive.

- What do you mean? – asked a scared Sophitia.

- Wait here.

Zasalamel continued walking while the rest of them stopped.

When he was far from them, he snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a cage fell from above and trapped the other five people.

- What's going on? – yelled Heishiro. – Set us free!

Cassandra held on to her sister in fear. Raphael, Taki and Heishiro seemed surprised and furious, but not frightened.

- Don't worry, I'll do it. - said Zasalamel. – As soon as I don't need you any longer. And I'll let you go safe and sound, I promise.

- What do you want from us? – asked Sophitia.

- Zasalamel! – said a deep and sinister voice.

Everyone in the cage looked in the direction it had come from, the entrance, and they saw something terrifying. Only Raphael had seen it before. A standing armor, alive, with no one inside it, and wielding Soul Edge.

- Yes, sir? – replied Zasalamel, kneeling down before it.

- Where are the rest of them? – grumbled Nightmare.

- Isabella Valentine and William Adams are on their way here, as well as Olcadan, who is bringing Hong Yunsung, Seong Mi-na and, if I'm not wrong, Kilik, Maxi and Chai Xianghua.

- What about Siegfried Schtauffen?

- I'm sure he will come on his own. – said Zasalamel smiling.

- Fine. Are you sure we don't need anyone else?

- Absolutely, sir.

- If someone else comes, you already know what you have to do. – ordered Nightmare. – And don't worry…if everything goes right, you'll soon be dead.


	92. Chapter 91: The prophecy

**Chapter 91: The prophecy**

Finally, Rock and his crew arrived in New Delhi, the Indian capital city.

- And now what? – asked Rock to Ivy.

- I don't know. The map doesn't say anything else.

- So what shall we do?

- I don't know, Rock. – repeated the woman. – Maybe we should wait for another clue to appear.

- All right. – agreed Rock. – But I hope it'll appear soon.

Cervantes tried to say something, but the gag prevented him from doing so.

Alan was about to take it off, but Rock stopped him:

- Don't.

- Okay.

Rock addressed his whole crew.

- Now we're stopping for a while. – he said. – While I make a decision, you can…do sightseeing, I don't know. But don't even think about scaring mortals.

Some of his crewmen laughed at that order.

- Alan, keep an eye on our prisoner.

- Yes, captain.

Finally, Rock addressed Ivy.

- We have to talk.

**...**

Ivy and Rock sat on a bench. They had looked for a desert place because Rock was invisible and anyone passing by would have seen Ivy talking to herself.

- What do you want to talk about? – she asked.

- Well, first of all, I want to thank you for your help.

- Oh, you're welcome.

- If it weren't for you, I would still be on the beach trying to read the map.

- I'm glad to have been of any use, and I hope to continue being so.

- In fact, I wanted to talk to you about that.

- What? Why? Is there any problem?

- You'll see… Maybe I'm uncultured, but I have a precise…intuition.

- Intuition?

- Yes, and because of that…I know that we're heading to a trap.

- Are you sure?

- I am.

- And you came here anyway?

- Yes, because…I don't mind falling into a trap, if in that way I can achieve my goals. – he claimed. – I just wanted to warn you, just in case you want to leave.

- What?

- I have reached this far because of you, but I will probably not need you any more. I'd love it if you stayed with me, but I'm not forcing you to run an unnecessary risk. So…it's your decision.

Ivy didn't talk for a few seconds, although she had already made her decision.

She wanted to take Rock's hand and look at his eyes, but he was invisible.

- Rock, I've been with you for weeks. I'm not leaving you now.

- Are you sure?

- Absolutely.

- I'm glad to hear that.

At that moment, Alan approached them.

- Captain.

- Do you need anything, Alan?

- Cervantes is behaving in a really strange way. I think he really needs to say something.

- What do you mean?

- He's babbling, twisting and turning. We should let him talk.

Rock sighed, stood up and approached the pirate. Alan and Ivy followed him.

He bent down and removed Cervantes' gag.

- What's wrong with you?

Then, something really strange happened.

Cervantes' eyes, which were completely white, turned black.

After that, he started speaking in a voice which wasn't his:

- _"Soul Edge is returning soon. Stronger than ever before. Even Soul Calibur will surrender to the Evil Sword's power. Everyone will be slave to the sword, the same way I am now. Before three days from now, at the Forsaken Sanctuary, Soul Edge will reach its climax. The Evil Seed will destroy every man, woman and child's soul. And the sword will finally find a body worth of its power. Soul Edge is returning soon. Stronger than ever before."_

When he stopped talking, his eyes' turned white again and he fell unconscious.

Rock, Ivy, Alan and the whole crew seemed to be terrified.

Rock was the first to talk:

- What was that?


	93. Chapter 92: Following instincts

**Chapter 92: Following instincts**

- I'll say it again, girl. You don't have to follow me.

- I think I have to. – replied Talim.

- You don't even imagine where I'm going. – said Setsuka. – I've read about some cultures… When a member of them has his life saved by someone else, he must follow his saviour until he can return the favour to him. You aren't one of them, are you?

- No, not at all. – answered the girl. – Furthermore, that man wasn't going to kill me.

- Ok, whatever you say. Then, why are you following me?

- I told you, I think I have to. It's just…instinct.

- Do you always let yourself be guided by that?

- Instinct led me to you. What guides you?

- Me... – Setsuka doubted for a few seconds. – I'm following someone else.

- Who? – inquired Talim.

- His name is Heishiro Mitsurugi.

- And why do you follow him?

- I have to…talk to him.

- Are you making such a long journey just to talk?

Setsuka didn't answer.

- How do you come to know him?

- He…forget it. I insist, you shouldn't follow me.

- Setsuka, you can tell me. I can help you.

Setsuka, who was walking ahead of Talim, stopped and turned around to look at her.

- No, you can't.

- Is it so serious?

- I don't think you'd like to deal with that man. – said Setsuka, walking again.

- What did he do to you for you to say such a thing?

Setsuka doubted again but she finally answered:

- He killed my father.

That answer shocked Talim, who stayed still for a few seconds, feeling both surprised and sad.

Setsuka didn't stop and they didn't talk again about that.


	94. Chapter 93: Reuniting

**Chapter 93: Reuniting**

- And that's my story. – said Yunsung, who had just told Kilik, Maxi and Xianghua about all his adventures since he left the dojo until Kilik found him. – Will you take me back to the village now?

- Yes, of course. – agreed Kilik. – But we also want to destroy Soul Edge and we have no idea where to go.

- Maybe we could join you and your people. – suggested Xianghua.

- I have no problem with that – replied Yunsung. – But I should check withMi-na and Olcadan.

- Check what? – asked a female voice.

At that very moment, Mi-na and the innkeeper arrived.

When Yunsung saw her, he stood up startled.

Mi-na and he looked at each other's eyes for a second and then they ran towards each other and hugged.

- What happened, Yunsung? – inquired Mi-na, who was half way between crying and laughing. – You worried me a lot!

- Really?

- Of course.

- Hwang reached me, and…

- Yes, yes, I know that. How did you get rid of his men?

- Fighting.

Mi-na sighed.

- You'll never change**, **huh?

- Well, I'm sorry I have to interrupt such a magical moment, but we must move. – said Maxi. – Provided that you want us to join you, of course.

- Yes, yes. No problem. – replied Mi-na.

- Let's get back to the village. – suggested the innkeeper. – I hope your friend is managing to hold his own in charge of the inn.

**...**

- You aren't even able to hold your own against me. – said Olcadan to Hwang. – How do you expect to do it against Soul Edge?

Hwang had indeed come back to the inn, and Olcadan took advantage of it. He took him by forceinto an empty room to talk to him.

- Why should I hold my ownagainsta sword? – asked Hwang.

- That's not an ordinary sword, boy. – explained Olcadan. – And it's extremely unwise to go after it without knowing anything about it.

- I know something about it. I know it is the most powerful sword in the world.

- Well, not exactly. There's another one w… Anyway, that's not the issue in question. I won't let you continue your quest. Believe me, I'm doing this for your own good.

- Why do you worry so much about me?

- I carry a heavy load on my mind for so many deaths. I don't want even one more.

- What will you do if I keep looking for it?

- If that's what you decide, I can't do anything else, but think it over. Your life is at stake.

At that moment, the room's door was opened and the innkeeper, Mi-na, Yunsung, Kilik, Maxi and Xianghua came through it.

- I thought I had left you in charge of the inn. – complained the innkeeper.

- I'm sorry, I had something more important to do. – apologized Olcadan.

- Fortunately for you, at this time there are not many people around here.

Olcadan looked around and saw Yunsung.

- Nice to see you again, boy.

- Nice to see you too, Olcadan.

Then, Hwang realized Yunsung was there.

- You're alive! – he exclaimed.

- Unfortunately for you, I am.

Yunsung tried to jump on Hwang, but Kilik and Maxi heldhim.

Mi-na looked at Hwang disdainfully**, **although somewhere in her heart she still loved him.

- We'd better start moving soon. – said Olcadan.

- I almost forgot! – exclaimed Mi-na. – Did the doctor tell you where the Ling-Sheng Su Temple is?

- Ling-Sheng Su Temple? – reacted Kilik. – I come from there!

- Really? – asked Mi-na.

- Yes, but…there's nothing left in there.

- What do you mean? – inquired Yunsung.

- The temple is destroyed. – answered Olcadan instead of him. – An acquaintance told me about it when I was going to the doctor's house.

- An acquaintance? – asked Kilik.

- He also told me where we have to go. The Lost Cathedral, in India.

- That's not very far. – said Mi-na.

- Not very far? – exclaimed the innkeeper, who didn't know what they were talking about.

- Well, not so far considering what we have already travelled.

- Tonight we'll rest, but tomorrow we must go. – said Olcadan.

- What about me? – asked Hwang.

Do whatever you want. If you want my advice…go home


	95. Chapter 94: Trusting the enemy

**Chapter 94: Trusting the enemy**

- What's the Forsaken Sanctuary?

- I told you I don't know.

- And I told you I don't believe you, Cervantes.

- If I told you where it is, would you believe me?

- I don't think so. – admitted Rock.

- Then this is pointless.

- He's right, Rock. – said Ivy.

- What do you suggest? – asked the captain.

- Well, everything I know, which is pretty much, I learnt it all fromthe same source.

- Which one?

- Books, obviously. I'm sure there's a library in this city. Maybe I can find some information concerning that sanctuary.

- How long will it take you?

- I don't know, Rock. Maybe minutes, maybe weeks.

Rock sighed.

- It's okay. I'll be waiting right here.

**...**

It wasn't long before Ivy foundthe city's library.

However, it did take her a long timeto find what she was looking for.

After looking up in more than 30 books about architecture, geography and history, she finally read "Forsaken Sanctuary".

Surprisingly, she read it in a book about myths and legends.

The paragraph was like this:

_"The Forsaken Sanctuary, commonly known as The Lost Cathedral, is a legendary building told to be in India. Many people had described it as a huge cathedral with big stained glass windows, but almost empty inside. However, everybody claims not to have been in it. So, how has it come to be known? How is it that nobody has ever managed to find it? Does it really exist or is it just a fictional place?"_

Ivy was very surprised at what she had read. However, she thought it would be useless.

At least, she thought that until she told Rock about it. Then, Cervantes surprisingly said:

- The Lost Cathedral? Why haven't you mentioned it before?

- Do you know where it is? – inquired Rock.

- Yes, I do. But I didn't know it was called "The Forsaken Sanctuary".

- Will you lead us there? – asked Ivy.

- Of course...on condition thatyou set me free.

Rock and Ivy looked at each other, looking for an answer on the other's face.

- It's our only chance. – said Ivy.

- You know he will play dirty on usas soon as he can. – replied Rock.

- What could he do? – asked the woman. – We'll keep him under control**, **Rock. Furthermore, I'm the only one who can die, and I don't think he would kill his daughter without a reason.

- Are you sure?

- Yes, I am.

Rock sighed.

- Ok. Alan, set him free.

Rock approached Cervantes and looked at his eyes.

- I'll keep both eyes on you.


	96. Chapter 95: Zasalamel's story

**Chapter 95: Zasalamel's story**

Heishiro, Taki, Sophitia, Cassandra and Raphael were still trapped in the cage while Zasalamel watched them. Nightmare was "sleeping" (the armor pieces were scattered all over the floor) and Soul Edge lay on an altar.

- Don't look at the sword. – suggested Raphael. – That won't do you any good.

- What do you know about Soul Edge? - asked Heishiro.

- I know pretty much about it. That's because I have something of it inside.

- The Evil Seed. – deduced Taki.

- Yes. Fortunately, I can deal with it.

- What's the Evil Seed? – inquired Cassandra.

- It's an evil energy which was inside Soul Edge. – answered the ninja. – However, someone released it and now it is spreading all over the world, destroying weak people's souls.

- Soon not only weak people's. – said Zasalamel, who was listening to the conversation from outside the cage.

Zasalamel's participation enraged Heishiro.

- Who are you? – yelled the samurai.

- I'm Zasalamel. – he answered mockingly.

- Where have you come from? What do you have to do with all this? – asked Heishiro.

- If you insist, I'll tell you. I was born in Nigeria. My family was part of a tribe. This tribe was specialised in two noble, but dangerous, arts: fighting and black magic.

- Black magic? – repeated Sophitia.

- I practiced both for many years. As years went by, I became one of the three greatest fighters in the world.

- That's why you overpowered me so easily at that bar. – said Heishiro.

- Who are the other two fighters? – inquired Taki.

- One of them is already dead. His name was Shunsuke Hiyotakashi, but he was better known as Edge Master.

- Yes, that's kind of easier to pronounce. – replied Cassandra.

- Edge Master...I've heard about him. – said Heishiro. – He was that warrior who had Soul Edge in front of him and didn't fall into its temptation, wasn't he?

- That's right. – confirmed Zasalamel.

- Who's the other one? – asked Raphael.

- His name is Olcadan. You'll soon meet him.

- I'm really not very interested in those fighters. What's that black magic thing? – asked Heishiro.

- Black magic is not an ordinary art. A few people in the world can develop it, and among them, a minority manage to get good results.

- I guess you're in that minority. – said Taki.

- Yes. I master three branches of black magic. Two of them are very useful to me. The other one...I wish I'd never got to master it.

- Which are they? – requested Raphael.

- The useful ones are legeremancy and…

- What's that? – questioned Cassandra.

- It's a kind of….mind-reading.

- Mind-reading? – exclaimed the girl. – Can you guess which number I'm thinking of or things like that?

- That's not how it works. – explained Zasalamel. – I can't know what you are thinking, but I can see your memories, your feelings…

- Is that how you learnt our names? – asked Raphael.

- Yes. And that's how I learnt what you care most for, in order to manipulate you at my will.

Zasalamel started pointing at each one of them while he talked to them.

- You, Sophitia, care for your children above all. That's why I threatened your husband.

- Was it you? – replied Sophitia, who seemed to be angry for the first time since they were trapped in the cage.

- Cassandra, what you most love in this world is your sister, so I knew you would follow her.

The two sisters looked at each other, Sophitia with proud and Cassandra embarrassed.

- Heishiro, you feel bad about your beloved's deaths, so I talked about them when I met you. And you, Raphael…just mentioning your daughter Amy made you react.

- Wait, wait, wait. – interrupted the French man. – There's something I don't understand. If you wanted to draw us here, why did you try to convince us to stop our journeys in the beginning?

- That's a good question, Raphael. In fact, in the beginning I thought I didn't need you. I just wanted to gather Soul Edge and Soul Calibur to use them together, but you got in my way, so I tried to get rid of you.

- But…we travelled because of you! – yelled Sophitia.

- Yes, but that was a different case. I was really interested in having a sword more powerful than Soul Edge, because it would have the same effect than Soul Calibur. However, I have realized that it's impossible to create a weapon more powerful than those two swords.

- So, why do you need us now? – questioned Heishiro.

- That's the question, Heishiro. Soul Edge has been relatively in my power for years.

- Relatively? – repeated Taki.

- Cervantes the pirate had the sword when he died, and both his corpse and Soul Edge were swept by the tide to India.

- That's where we are now. – said Sophitia.

- Yes. I had been on Soul Edge's trail for a long time, and I finally found it on a beach, along with Cervantes' putrid body. However, I knew that my soul wasn't strong enough to resist Soul Edge's power, so I looked for someone else who would bear the sword, while I remained untouched. And I found him soon.

- Who? – inquired Heishiro.

- I think you've read about him. His name is Siegfried Schtauffen. His father was a German merchant who spent his life travelling. He had settled in India when I found Siegfried, I realized he was strong enough and I persuaded him to get the sword. Soon, his soul was possessed by Soul Edge. And since then, I've been working for the sword.

- Do you…work for the sword? – asked Raphael.

- Yes. At that time, my mission was to provide it with human lives, because Soul Edge gets stronger every time it kills. However, something happened: Siegfried's will was stronger than I had thought, and he managed to get rid of Soul Edge. Then I cast a spell and the sword became alive through Siegfried's armor, which he had left behind. That's how Nightmare was born.

- Why do you work for Nightmare? What's your benefit? – inquired Taki.

- Isn't that obvious? This way, I can always know where the sword is. And, when the moment arrives…that will be soon…Nightmare will grant me my greatest wish.

- What is it? – asked some of the prisoners at the same time.

- My death. – answered the African man. – The ability I regret of having developed is no other than immortality. Nothing nor nobody I have ever known can kill me. You may think that's something good, but believe me, there's a moment when everybody wants to rest in peace.

- How old are you? – questioned Cassandra.

- Three hundred and sixteen. – answered Zasalamel as if it weren't something unusual.

- I still don't know what we are doing here or how you managed to bring us here. – said Raphael.

- Haven't you guessed? – replied a surprised Zasalamel. – Teleporting. That's the other branch of black magic which is being useful to me.

The prisoners were shocked. They have learnt a lot of information in one go.

- As for you... As I said, Soul Edge's been with me for years. However, Soul Calibur… - his face turned sullen. – I haven't managed to find it in all these years. Once I was about to get it, but a spell protecting it prevented me from doing so. Furthermore, the sword moved.

- I don't mind. Tell us what we are doing here! – demanded Heishiro.

- Hephaestus, a god whom Sophitia and Cassandra know very well, hid and protected Soul Calibur. He didn't want to tell me where, and when he finally did, he set me a trap. – he retold. – Fortunately, I can read even gods' minds, so I found out his criteria to hide Soul Calibur.

- Which one? – asked all of the prisoners at the same time again.

- There is a number of people around the world who have the two necessary qualities to wield Soul Calibur: a great fighting spirit and an esentially good soul. Hephaestus decided that Soul Calibur would move from one of these people to another one, taking the form of the weapon that person had at that very moment. It's not difficult to guess who these people are.

- Us. – understood Sophitia.

- That's right. You and those to come.

- So…what are you going to do with us? – asked Cassandra.

- Three things. First, I need to find out who is wielding Soul Calibur. In the second place…do you remember I said "at that time, my mission was to provide it with human lives"?

The people in the cage nodded.

- Well, my mission now is to provide it with a body. A body strong enough to hold its power, but not to get rid of it. The chosen body will be one of yours too.

- And last? – questioned Taki.

- As I said, my goal is to die. I think the only thing in the world which could kill me is the combination of Soul Edge and Soul Calibur's powers. But, as I said too, Soul Calibur is protected and I can't use it. Anyone who has evil inside can't. So I also need one of you to use it to kill me.

- But I'm possessed by the Evil Seed. – said Raphael. – So I can't wield Soul Calibur either, can I?

- Theoretically you can't, but you were among Hephaestus' candidates, so I can't be sure.

- When do we get started? – finally asked Sophitia.

- When those to come arrive.

At that moment, the cathedral's door started to open.

- And I think that will be soon. – said Zasalamel smiling.


	97. Chapter 96: Friends at war

**Chapter 96: Friends at war**

Finally, the door was completely open and the silhouette of a strong man appeared at the doorstep.

A man with an owl-head.

Olcadan noticed the people trapped in the cage, but that didn't seem to surprise him.

- Here I am, Zasalamel! – he yelled.

- Nice to see you here, my friend. But…where are the people who were with you?

- Did you really think I'd be so stupid to bring them here and let you use them for your own purposes?

- What? Didn't you bring them? – asked Zasalamel furious.

- Yes, I brought them. But they're a couple of kilometers from here. I suggested them staying there, just for caution, and it seems that I was right.

- Bring them here right now! Or I will go for them myself!

- That'll be over my dead body. – claimed Olcadan.

Suddenly, a deep and evil voice which seemed to come out from the walls said:

- _Kill him!We don't need him! He was only necessary to bring the rest of the people._

But... – complained Zasalamel. - ...he is my friend.

- _So?_

- I don't want to kill him, Nightmare.

- _You didn't have any problem to kill the master._

Olcadan was surprised at what he had just heard.

- The master? – he repeated. – You killed Edge Master!

- That was a different case, Nightmare. – replied Zasalamel ignoring Olcadan. – Edge Master was not so close to us. We were never real friends. He didn't even tell us where his temple was!

- He was a good man, Zasalamel. – said Olcadan. – He noticed that one of the swords I created was too dangerous to continue existing. He tried to convince me to destroy it before it was too late, but I was so fool that I thought he was wrong.

- Do you think you would have been able to destroy it if you had wanted to? Edge Master entered your house to do it himself, but he couldn't.

- However he didn't take it either… – said Heishiro to himself, who was watching the conversation along with the rest of the prisoners.

- Of course I'd have been able to destroy it, Zasalamel. – replied Olcadan. – I had something Edge Master hadn't: Soul Calibur.

- Then, why didn't you destroy it when you realized that Edge Master was right?

- I told you, I was a fool. Instead of destroying it, I thought it would be better to sell it. That's why I sold it to that priest, Kunpaetku. Damned moment! All the bad things done by Soul Edge are my fault.

Olcadan's face looked sad even being an owl's.

- So I must destroy it. I must repair what I did.

- That'll be over my dead body too, Olcadan. Because I won't let you even touch Soul Edge until I have used it along with Soul Calibur to kill myself.

- What you are trying to do is madness! – yelled the owl-man. – The consequences of doing that are unpredictable and could be disastrous. The best thing we can expect is that only the cathedral and those inside it will be destroyed, but the risk is much bigger!

- So what? – replied Zasalamel mockingly.

At that moment, Olcadan felt more furious than ever before. Despite of being disarmed, he would have jumped on Zasalamel to kill him with his bare hands…if Zasalamel could die.

- Bring your people here, Olcadan. – ordered Zasalamel. – I don't want to kill you. I really don't.

- You'll have to.

Zasalamel sighed.

- Okay.

He approached the cage and talked to Raphael.

- Give me your sword.

- No.

Zasalamel didn't argue. He just punched Raphael and took the weapon.

- Aren't you putting up resistance? – asked Zasalamel to Olcadan.

- Of course I am.

- You are disarmed.

- What makes you think I need any weapon?

Zasalamel smiled, thus showing his gold tooth, although he didn't seem to be very happy.

At that moment, he disappeared.

Olcadan kept up his guard, prepared to avoid a blow from any direction, and he did it.

Zasalamel appeared on Olcadan's left, and the owl-man was quick enough to avoid his attack.

The African man continued trying to hit the other one, but Olcadan knew how to defend himself.

- How long do you think you will resist, Olcadan? You know I have all the time in the world.

Olcadan ignored his words and, suddenly, he jumped on him, knocking him down. Raphael's rapier was sent flying.

Zasalamel and Olcadan struggled on the floor. (Zasalamel can't disappear if someone is touching him)

Finally, the owl-man overpowered his foe and immobilized him against the floor.

- Someone give me a weapon! – he yelled to the people in the cage.

Taki put one of her daggers on the floor and kicked it towards the two fighters.

Olcadan picked it up and put its blade on Zasalamel's neck.

- I can't kill you, but I can still turn you into a bodyless head.

- Would you do such a horrible thing? – asked Zasalamel.

Then, Olcadan felt something behind him and Zasalamel smiled.

When the owl-man turned around it was too late.

Before he could even see what was that, Soul Edge's dark blade pierced his chest.

Nightmare had waken up, he had picked up the sword and he had attacked Olcadan with it.

The prisoners were shocked in fear.

Nightmare took the sword out of Olcadan's body. The owl-man fell to the ground. He was dying.

- What a paradox. Killed by your own creation. – said the dark knight.

- I remind you...Nightmare... – whispered Olcadan with his last breath. - ...you are not…my only creation.

- I know.

- You won't get your way… You'll never defeat...Soul Calibur.

After saying those words, Olcadan's heart stopped beating.

Nightmare would have looked at the corpse contemptuously if he had had a human face. Then, he addressed Zasalamel, who was still on the floor.

- Finish your job. As soon as possible. – he ordered, and then he went back to sleep.

Zasalamel crawled and approached his old friend's corpse, and closed its eyes.

- Rest in peace.

Zasalamel picked up Raphael and Taki's weapons and gave them back to their owners. Then, he disappeared.

Undoubtedly, he had just teleported some kilometers in order to bring the people Olcadan had left behind to the cathedral.

When he was gone, the prisoners looked at each other, and finally, Heishiro said what they were all thinking:

- We have to do something.


	98. Chapter 97: All together

**Chapter 97: All together**

- He's taking too long. Do you think something wrong happened to him?

- He knows how to take care of himself, Mi-na. – answered Yunsung.

- He was disarmed. – replied Xianghua. – That's not a good thing.

- The master could usually defend himself without any weapon. – said Kilik.

- And now he's dead.

- Yeah... – admitted Kilik. – You're right.

- Maybe we should go after him. – suggested Maxi.

- He clearly ordered us to stay in here until he came back. – said Mi-na.

- Yes, but he didn't say anything about what to do if he didn't come back.

- Let's do this. – suggested Yunsung. – Some of us stay in here and the rest go after him.

- I don't know… It could be dangerous. – replied Mi-na.

- I think we should stay all together. That way we'll be safer. – claimed Kilik

- But...

Before Maxi could reply, the sound of footsteps interrupted their argument.

Then, they saw something they hadn't expected: A woman was approaching them.

- Who are you? – yelled Yunsung.

- I'm Ivy. And you? What are you doing here?

- I'm not pretty sure about that. And you?

- We came to find and destroy Soul Edge.

- "We"? – repeated Maxi. – Who else is with you?

At that moment, about twenty zombies appeared before them, making Xianghua scream.

- What's happening? – yelled Kilik.

- Don't worry, they won't hurt you. But keep an eye on that one.

She pointed at the zombie who seemed to be the oldest one, who was wearing a pirate captain suit.

- Well, shall we keep on moving or shall we chat forever? – asked the pirate.

However, Ivy wasn't the person who answered, nor any of the other zombies.

A man who was standing where seconds before there wasn't anything answered instead, startling everybody else:

- Take it easy, Cervantes. You are almost there.

- Who are you? – asked Cervantes.

- My name is Zasalamel. I have what you are all looking for, a couple of kilometers from here. But, Cervantes, tell me…why have you brought these people here? They only want to destroy Soul Edge, and the sword is the only thing you care for.

- I don't want to destroy Soul Edge. My only goal is to find it again, but the only way I had to do it was leading these people here.

- I'm glad to hear that. The prophecy Nightmare made you utter undoubtedly worked. And the map I left in Spain too, of course.

- Prophecy? – asked Cervantes.

- If these people know that Soul Edge is at the Lost Cathedral is because you told them.

- Me? I never said that. I didn't even know where the sword was!

- Of course you didn't. But you're a zombie, and that makes you a slave to Nightmare and Soul Edge. The prophecy which came out from your mouth was really pronounced by him.

- I told you this was a trap. – said to Ivy a zombie who seemed to be their leader.

- Yes, Rock, it was a trap. Anyway, you are arriving where you wanted to: Soul Edge.

Kilik, Maxi, Xianghua, Mi-na and Yunsung didn't seem to understand what was going on.

Meanwhile, most of the zombies were hesitating who to obey.

- Listen to me, zombies! – yelled Zasalamel. – If Soul Edge disappears, you'll disappear. If Soul Edge gets stronger, you'll get stronger. Do you really want to help these people to destroy it? Or do you want to help Cervantes and me to make it stronger?

Those words made most of the zombies take a stand for Cervantes. Only Alan and Ivy remained loyal to Rock.

The situation was getting out of control.

Cervantes had the upper hand now, because he was supported by Zasalamel and almost the whole zombie crew.

On the other side, Rock was supported by Ivy, Alan, Kilik, Maxi, Xianghua, Yunsung and Mi-na.

- Fine. – said Zasalamel. – Now I'll take you to the Lost Cathedral. We have a lot of work to do there.

Zasalamel started walking, and Cervantes and the zombies followed him without a doubt.

Rock looked at Ivy, looking for an answer. She just said:

- We have no other choice.

So they and Alan just walked after the other zombies.

- I think we should go too. – suggested Maxi.

- Yes. – confirmed Yunsung.

Finally, the whole group made their way to the Lost Cathedral.


	99. Chapter 98: Final battle

**Chapter 98: Final battle**

When they arrived at the Lost Cathedral, they were amazed at its appearance.

Ivy, who had seen a lot of buildings depicted in the books she read, had never seen something like that.

Cervantes was the only one who had already been there.

- It looks just as I remembered it. – he said.

- How do you come to know this place? – asked Rock.

- While trying to recover Soul Edge, my instinct led me here. However, the cathedral was abandoned and empty.

- It wasn't. – replied Zasalamel. – I was living in here. I probably wasn't at home.

He smiled.

- Did you live at an empty cathedral? – asked Cervantes.

- I don't need anything, and if I did, I could get it immediately.

Zasalamel entered the cathedral and the rest of them followed him, wondering about his enigmatic words.

Once inside the cathedral, they saw a distressing scene.

Two men and three women were trapped in a cage. Soul Edge was lying on an altar. The floor was covered with the pieces of an armor and, among them, Olcadan's dead body.

When Mi-na saw the corpse couldn't do anything else but run towards it. Yunsung followed her walking.

The girl cried beside her friend's body and Yunsung put a hand on one of her shoulders. That scene reminded Kilik and Xianghua of Edge Master's death.

Zasalamel let Mi-na and Yunsung stay close to the owl-man's corpse.

Meanwhile, Heishiro and Maxi's eyes met. When they saw each other, both of them made a gesture of surprise, remembering when they met in China.

- _Enough sentimentality! _– yelled a sinister voice which seemed to come out from Soul Edge. – _Zasalamel, let's get started._

The African man approached Yunsung and Mi-na.

- He was my friend too… - he said. - …once. You don't know how well I understand you.

Those words made Mi-na react. She suddenly stood up and started punching Zasalamel's chest, but he barely felt it.

- You don't understand anything! – she yelled, still crying. – A monster like you can't love anybody!

Zasalamel didn't try to defend himself. He just answered quietly:

- I'm not a monster, Mi-na. I'm a person like all of you. Well, maybe right now I'm not exactly like you, but I once was. I know what it means to love a mother, a family. I know what it means to have friends. I know what it means to fall in love too, and I also had disappointments in love. I got married once, I had children, and I had grandchildren.

Mi-na and the rest of the people who hadn't hear his story were perplexed.

- My long long life has allowed me to experience all those things more than once. That's great, but there's a bad side too. As I said, I loved my parents, my brothers and sisters, my wife, my children and my grandchildren…and I saw all of them die. Because of my absurd obsession to achieve immortality, now I can't reunite with them. And that's why you're here, Mi-na. You're going to help me to go back to my beloved.

Zasalamel's speech had been really convincing and touching, and the rest of the people now looked at him in a different way. They had understood that he also had his reasons.

- If it was up to me, I'd be the only person to die in here. However, I'm afraid that the circumstances will be different. Anyway, the more you cooperate with me, the more possibilities you'll have to survive.

- What do we have to do? – asked Yunsung with tearful eyes, although he was angrier than sad.

- First, I need to know who of you is wielding Soul Calibur. I think the best way to do that is to approach Soul Edge to each of your weapons and see its reactions. So leave your…

- Do you really think we're so stupid? – yelled Heishiro. – Do you think we are going to give our weapons to you so that you can kill us so easily?

- I could kill you easily even if you kept your weapons. However, that's not what I intend to do.

- All right. - said Heishiro. – In that case, we'll approach our weapons to Soul Edge ourselves.

- It could be dangerous. – warned Zasalamel.

- We'll run the risk. – exclaimed Raphael.

- Thanks for checking with us, mate. – replied Cassandra ironically.

- I think he's right. – said Kilik. – We must do it. If we don't have our weapons close at hand we will be defenseless, and he will manipulate us at his will.

- Yes, Kilik is right. – agreed Maxi. – Do we all think the same?

The rest of them gradually joined the proposal.

- Fine, but before starting…I want to talk to you, Cervantes. In private.

- Me? – replied the pirate, surprised.

- Yes. You're taking part in this too.

**...**

Zasalamel and Cervantes moved away to talk and came back some minutes later.

Cervantes' grin aroused the suspicions of the rest of the group.

- We can start. – said Zasalamel. – Who wants to be first?

- Me! – exclaimed Heishiro. – I need to get out of this cage right now!

- Don't worry.

Zasalamel snapped his fingers and the cage was pulled up by a rope.

- Come on, hurry up!

Heishiro unsheathed his katana and approached Soul Edge.

- What am I supposed to do? – he asked.

- Don't look right at the sword's eye. If your soul is as strong as I think, you'll feel a pain beyond your imagination.

- What if it isn't?

- Then you won't feel anything…again.

- I understand. – replied Heishiro mockingly, because he didn't fear death.

- You must slide your sword's blade on Soul Edge's. If your weapon is Soul Calibur, something will happen, I don't know exactly what. If I were you, I'd move away quickly, just in case. If it isn't, nothing will happen.

Heishiro nodded and obeyed. When his sword touched Soul Edge, he shuddered, but nothing else happened.

- Next?

After Heishiro; Taki, Kilik, Ivy and Rock did the same and got the same result.

It was Sophitia and Cassandra's turn.

The elder sister went ahead, despite of Cassandra's complaints.

Sophitia closed her eyes and started the procedure. She thought about her husband and her children, who were waiting for her in the remote Greece.

She came down to earth and opened her eyes. Nothing had happened, so she gave way to Cassandra.

The younger sister repeated what Sophitia had done, and then it happened.

The two swords (Soul Edge and Cassandra's) started to shake.

Zasalamel stared at what was happening expectantly.

He was about to tell Cassandra to move away when Heishiro yelled:

- Destroy it, Cassandra! You have Soul Calibur! You can destroy Soul Edge!

Cassandra didn't know what to do. She instinctively looked at her sister, looking for an answer, but she seemed as confused as her.

- Don't do it, Cassandra. If you do, you'll doom all of you. – said Zasalamel.

- He will kill us anyway! – shouted Heishiro. – If you don't destroy it, many other people will die too!

- Think of your nephew and niece. – insisted Zasalamel. – If you destroy it, they'll die too.

The girl was about to cry. Two men who could kill her in a second were yelling at her to do two opposite things. At the same time, she felt that humanity's fate was in her hands.

Finally, without very well knowing how she did it, she made a decision.

She closed her eyes and she got ready to sink Soul Calibur into Soul Edge.

However, as soon as she raised her arm, she heard a gunshot and felt fire going through her chest.

Her sister's cry confirmed her what had happened. Without any energies left, she dropped Soul Calibur and fell to the ground. She was losing consciousness, but she could still breath.

Sophitia immediately knelt beside her sister, crying, while the rest of the group looked at them in shock.

Most of them reacted looking for the shooter, and they found him soon: Cervantes was pointing with his gun at the altar, and the arm's muzzle was still smoking.

Some of them wanted to jump on him to kill him, but they knew they couldn't.

- Good job. – said Zasalamel to Cervantes, sadly and quietly. – And thank you.

- I didn't do it because you asked me to do it. I did it because if Soul Edge is destroyed, I die.

- I know. Well, now I need a volunteer to do the next task.

- Volunteer? – yelled Kilik. – We're not moving a finger until Cassandra is all right!

- We can't do anything for her. – claimed Zasalamel. – She's dying. The only thing we can do is to turn her into a zombie, but I don't think you like this idea.

Sophitia, still hugging her sister, looked at Cervantes and Zasalamel with her eyes filled with rage.

- Let's help him. – she said firmly. – If he wants to die…the better if it is as soon as possible.

**...**

- What do we have to do now? – asked Yunsung, angrily.

- Now we have to give a body to Soul Edge. – explained Zasalamel. – Only that way it will be strong enough to kill me. Fortunately for you, and if I'm not wrong, Siegfried Schtauffen is about to arrive. His body was already possessed by Soul Edge once, and I intend that to happen again. However, he was resistant enough to get rid of it, so maybe he can also prevent it from possessing him now. In that case, one of you will have to give his body.

- What will happen to us if we are possessed by the sword? – inquired Maxi.

- Your conscience will disappear. You'll never feel mercy again. Little by little, your other feelings will disappear too. That's why Siegfried killed his father. Killing him, he would inherit a fortune. He didn't feel anything for him any more, so he just did it. Of course, when he got rid of the sword, he noticed what he had done and he regretted it, but it was too late.

- And…will we have other feelings, such as sadness, rage or joy? – asked Heishiro.

- Just rage. A lot of rage. Why do you think Siegfried commited so many slaughters? Why do you think Astaroth, Soul Edge's greatest creation, enjoyed killing people? Soul Edge is rage.

- If Siegfried doesn't come, I will give my body. – said Heishiro.

- What? – exclaimed Taki. – You must be kidding.

- I have nothing left, Taki. My father died, my brother too, and my mother has no much life left. The only thing I have left is sadness. I could get rid of it with Soul Edge.

- Would you become a bloody killer just not to feel sadness? – asked Taki.

- If I don't, someone else will have to. I prefer to do it myself and prevent anyone else from suffering. I'm sure you all have somebody who will miss you if your conscience gets lost…I haven't.

- I'll miss you, Heishiro. – claimed Taki, who was noticeably sad despite of not crying (she never did).

Those words susprised the samurai, but he soon regained composure.

- The decision is made. I'm sorry. – then he addressed Zasalamel. – How long are we going to wait?

At that very moment, the cathedral's door started to open.

- I'm afraid nothing. – replied Zasalamel smiling.

All of them looked at the door, but they were surprised when they saw who had arrived. It wasn't Siegfried…It was Hwang.

**...**

- Hwang? What are you doing here? – yelled Mi-na as soon as she saw him.

Yunsung looked at him with hatred and held back, because he wanted to punch him.

- My men tracked you. I came to take you back to the dojo.

- Your men? Your men are dead. – replied Yunsung.

- The men you met were not the only ones to accompany me. However, we travelled in groups in order not to call people's attention.

- We asked you to go back home, Hwang. – said Mi-na.

- I was going to do so, when I received a letter from the master. He told me that he had found out that Soul Edge was evil and dangerous. His orders were clear: "Bring them back as soon as possible".

- So now I can go back too… – said Yunsung ironically.

- Yes. The master is a great man and he has understood that you travelled a lot just to keep Mi-na safe. But now, we have to go back.

- I'm sorry to interrupt, Hwang, but that can't be possible. – replied Zasalamel.

- What? Who are you?

- Right now, the man in charge. Go away the same way you've come here through or I'll have no other choice than killing you.

- Killing me? And how are you going to do that?

Zasalamel laughed.

- It's easy. I could use any of the weapons in here, but I don't want to get my hands dirty, so I think I'll simply break your neck.

- Well, and how are you going to pass over my men?

- Your men? A few badly-trained fighters are not a problem for me.

- Believe me, they're very well-trained. Oh, and they aren't a few…

He made a signal with his arm and what happened immediately after surprised everybody.

Some men started to enter the cathedral. Yunsung tried to count them, but he lost count after having counted seventeen. They were about 30.

- So you have brought your little army.

- The master takes it seriously when it comes to his daughter. – explained Hwang.

- Then this is a war. – claimed Zasalamel smiling. – Cervantes, are your men fighting on our side?

- Of course. – answered the pirate.

- But that's unfair! – exclaimed Ivy. – Those pirates can't die.

Those words seemed to scare Hwang and most of his men.

- I haven't started this. – said Zasalamel. – On with the battle!

**...**

After Zasalamel's war cry, the Lost Cathedral became the scenery of a bloody battle.

Cervantes' crew attacked Hwang's men, who were better fighters than the pirates, but they could die.

Fortunately, sometimes the pirates got an arm or a leg cut off, so they couldn't fight any more.

Zasalamel and Cervantes didn't take part in the battle. All the mortals there did, except for Cassandra, who was dying, and Sophitia, who didn't want to move away from her sister.

- Don't kill Soul Calibur's possible wielders! – ordered Zasalamel to his zombie army. – We need them alive.

That order balanced things. One side couldn't die, but the other one was larger in number, they were better fighters and Zasalamel had ordered not to kill some of them. Furthermore, they had Rock and Alan who couldn't die either.

While the battle took place under the watchful eye of Cervantes and Zasalamel, Sophitia fought againt her sister's imminent death.

- Sophitia... – whispered Cassandra with her eyes closed. – What's going on?

- Reinforcements have arrived. – answered Sophitia trying to pretend happiness, although she couldn't hold back her tears.– The two sides are fighting.

- You must…help them…

- No! – sobbed the elder sister. – I'm not leaving you alone.

- My sword... – Cassandra coughed. – My sword can destroy Soul Edge. You must destroy it… Take advantage when nobody is looking at you.

- Not until you are all right... – Sophitia's tears fell on her sister's face.

- I'm not going to be all right and you know it. – said Cassandra. – You must go back home…and take care of the kids…and your husband.

Cassandra tried to laugh, but she only managed to cough again.

- I'll take care of you too, as I have always done. – claimed Sophitia.

At that moment, Cassandra opened her eyes and looked at her sister's.

- If you want to take care of me…destroy that sword. Do it before more innocent people die.

- But…

- Do it for me, Sophitia. – pleaded Cassandra, who was about to cry too.

Sophitia burst into tears and her crying could be heard amidst the clash of swords.

- I've always envied you, you know? – admitted Cassandra. – You were always the smarter sister…the better fighter…the sensible one…and now I'm going to miss you saving the world.

- I've always envied your….your freedom…your sense of humor… - cried Sophitia.

Sophitia's tears were already more powerful than her voice.

- I can't save the world on my own, sis.

- I'm sure you can... – replied Cassandra. – You can deal with everything and you know it.

Sophitia didn't think the same way, but she didn't want to reply. Behind her back, a battle was taking place. In front of her, one of her most beloved people was dying.

- I love you very much, Sophitia. – said Cassandra with a barely audible voice.

- I love you too, Cassy.

The younger sister smiled slightly and, at that very second, her life fade away.

**...**

If Sophitia had turned around to look at the battle, she had discovered a bloody scene: zombies crawling on the floor with just one leg left, Hwang's men corpses… Almost every mortal person was wounded, although most of them could still fight.

Heishiro and Taki were laying waste among the enemies. They had cut off more than three extremities each one, and they barely had a scratch.

Raphael fought almost as well as they did, although he had a wound on his head which didn't look very well.

Ivy, Rock and Alan were fighting together, and so were Kilik, Maxi and Xianghua.

Meanwhile, Hwang was helping Yunsung and Mi-na.

Suddenly, Nightmare's evil voice spoke.

- _ZASALAMEL! We have lost enough time. I want a body right now._

Zasalamel looked at Soul Edge.

- I'm afraid this isn't the right time, sir. I don't think anyone would give his body at this moment.

- _Use Sophitia's. Now her soul is weak. She won't put up any resistance._

- Do you think that is the right b...?

- _DO IT, ZASALAMEL!_

Zasalamel sighed.

- Okay.

He approached the woman, who despite having heard her name was still hugging her sister's dead body.

- Stand up, please. – said Zasalamel.

Sophitia ignored him, so Zasalamel grabbed her clothes and pulled her up.

However, she did something he hadn't expected: she kicked his face, knocking him down.

- Don't underestimate a mother's soul. – yelled Sophitia with her eyes filled with rage.

Zasalamel stood up laughing, although the ability with which a woman had knocked him had upset him.

- So you're putting up resistance…

- I have a family to fight for. I'll never surrender having that.

- Well, then I guess I'll go and kill them all.

Those words destroyed Sophitia's resistance, and her face showed it to Zasalamel.

- So, if you don't want me to do that, you'll give your body to…

Zasalamel's words were interrupted by a thunderous metallic sound

The cathedral's door had been opened with a blow.

And now, it was Siegfried Schtauffen.


	100. Chapter 99: Soul Edge's awakening

**Chapter 99: Soul Edge's awakening**

- Siegfried! – exclaimed Zasalamel, who seemed glad to see him. – We were waiting for you!

- You! – roared the German warrior furiously. – You involved me in this!

- I thought you'd never realize. – replied Zasalamel mockingly.

- Now I'm not an idiot any more. You'll never manipulate me again!

- Soul Edge needs a body and it wants yours. – said Zasalamel. – If I were you, I wouldn't put up any resistance.

Siegfried didn't seem to be surprised at that. All the people in the cathedral were listening to the conversation, so the battle had stopped.

- Okay. – said Siegfried.

- A wise decision. – replied Zasalamel, who hadn't expected that it would be so easy, smiling.

- But don't sing your praises yet. I'll let Soul Edge enter my body, but not my soul.

Zasalamel laughed.

- Do you think you can resist? Don't be a fool.

- Now I can. I know Soul Edge very well now, and I'm prepared to confront it. – claimed Siegfried.

- Fine… Let's see if that is true. Come closer.

Siegfried approached the altar Soul Edge was on with determined step.

- I think you already know how it works. – said Zasalamel.

Siegfried looked at the evil sword and talked in a loud voice:

- Nightmare, do you hear me?

He didn't get any answer.

- Your horror story ends here. When I have you inside me, I'll let both of us be destroyed. And the nightmare will end once and for all.

This time he did get an answer: an evil laugh which resounded all over the cathedral.

Without any other delay, Siegfried stretched his arm out and grabbed Soul Edge's hilt.

As soon as he did so, the cathedral began to shake.

- At last! – exclaimed a radiant Zasalamel.

**...**

Siegfried's body started to mutate from the hand which was holding Soul Edge to the rest of his body.

His skin got darker, his golden hair turned red and soon his eyes were glowing evilly.

Suddenly, the evil laugh, which was still sounding, faded away and it started coming out from Siegfried's mouth.

Then, the cathedral's roof was blowed away by a mysterious force and its pieces were sent flying to the sky…a sky which had turned red with black clouds.

The tremor became a small earthquake. The cathedral's floor started to crack, and the altar broke into pieces.

Suddenly, Nightmare's armor pieces were attracted by Siegfried's body, which was soon covered in the dark armor. Now, he looked just like Nightmare, but this time there was a person inside the armor.

Siegfried, or Nightmare, or whoever was inside the armor raised Soul Edge as a sign of victory.

Zasalamel immediately knelt before him.

The cracks in the floor became deeper. Now some parts of the floor were higher and some were lower.

On the highest one, Zasalamel was still kneeling before Nightmare and Soul Edge. Close to them, Sophitia hugged her sister's corpse.

Rock, Ivy, Cervantes, Raphael and Alan were on another one; Kilik, Maxi, Xianghua, Taki and Heishiro were on a third one, while Yunsung, Mi-na and Hwang were on the last one. Hwang's men and Cervantes' crew were all distributed among these three levels.

Nightmare looked around and talked in a voice even more sinister than usual:

- Why aren't you fighting? Kill them all! – he ordered, making clear that Siegfried's soul hadn't resisted as much as he had expected.

- All of them? Soul Calibur's possible wielders too? – asked one of the zombies.

- Of course!

Then, the battle started again all over the cathedral.

- Wait a moment, sir. – asked Zasalamel, and then he addressed Sophitia. – You, pick up Soul Calibur. You two use both swords to finally kill me.

- And take the risk that Soul Edge might suffer any harm? – yelled the dark knight, and he laughed again.

Zasalamel looked at him, frowning in disbelief. His face showed true despair. Behind him, Sophitia picked Soul Calibur up and stood up, not knowing what to do.

Then, Nightmare grabbed Zasalamel's shirt front and threw him away. Zasalamel fell to one of the lower levels, and Nightmare now was face to face with a terrified Sophitia.

- Your end has arrived, Soul Calibur! – he roared when he was about to destroy the woman and her sword with Soul Edge.

However, before he could do so, something happened.

Something had come between them and received the blow.

It was Zasalamel, who had teleported there.

Soul Edge had pierced his chest and ripped his abdomen, making him scream in pain, but he remained standing.

- Run! – said Zasalamel to Sophitia. – I'll take care of him. Protect Soul Calibur!

The woman obeyed and she managed to jump to a lower level of the floor, moving away from Nightmare and Soul Edge. The dark knight tried to follow her, but Zasalamel prevented him from doing so.

However, Sophitia had unfortunately jumped to the same level where Cervantes was. When the pirate saw her, aimed his gun at her in an attempt to destroy Soul Calibur and protect Soul Edge.

- Don't move, sweetheart! – yelled the pirate smiling evilly.

Kilik, Maxi, Xianghua, Heishiro and Taki were fighting together; like Ivy, Raphael, Rock and Alan, and finally Yunsung, Mi-na and Hwang.

Cervantes was about to pull the trigger when Rock jumped on him and they started to fight about the pirate's gun.

That left Ivy, Raphael and Alan at a strong disadvantage, because they were surrounded by about ten zombies.

Meanwhile, Zasalamel and Nightmare were still fighting. Zasalamel could only use his damaged body, while Nightmare used Soul Edge.

- Give in! – yelled Soul Edge's wielder. – You know you can't beat me.

- And you know I can't die! – replied Zasalamel.

At that moment, Nightmare put his sword's tip on Zasalamel's Adam's apple.

- Your beloved friend, Olcadan, gave me a great idea before dying.

Before Zasalamel could react, Nightmare quickly cut his head off. Zasalamel's dead body fell to the ground at Nightmare's feet, while his head, still living, rolled out.

After decapitating his servant, Nightmare looked for Sophitia again. As soon as he saw her, he ran after her at full speed.

Taki noticed that.

- Mitsurugi! – she yelled.

When the samurai looked at her, she pointed with her finger at Sophitia and Nightmare.

The Greek woman ran towards them, who were on the level which was closest to the door.

- Help her out! – ordered Heishiro to Taki. – I'll take care of that monster.

Taki didn't want him to run that risk on his own, but she knew that arguing will only get things worse.

As soon as Sophitia brushed past them, Heishiro came into her way and stretched his arm. Sophitia understood: she handed Soul Calibur to him and left the cathedral running, along with the ninja.

Seconds later, before reaching the door, they could hear the two swords clashing.

- Ha! I finally found a worthy foe. – claimed Heishiro, smiling, face to face with Nightmare.

**...**

Meanwhile, the disadvantages for our main characters were increasing. Now not only Ivy, Raphael and Alan were in a tight situation, but also Kilik, Maxi and Xianghua, after Heishiro and Taki had taken on other responsibilities.

- We won't do it! – said Raphael and Maxi at the same time, each one of them on his level.

Ivy and the French man were feeling death too close. Then, the woman showed her ace up her sleeve.

- I'm going to do something that could be dangerous. – she warned. – But it's our only chance.

- Go on! – yelled Raphael, defending himself from the pirates.

Ivy pushed a button which was on her sword's hilt. The sword's blade divided into pieces, looking like a chain or a metallic snake. It seemed to be alive.

She brandished her weapon with a war cry, and its magical blade spread all over the place. Pieces of steel were flying at full speed around them, and shortly after all the pirates surrounding them had had at least one extremity cut off by the unpredictable blade.

However, when Ivy was folding her sword, one of the pieces turned treacherous and went through its owner's right thigh. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground, grabbing her wounded leg.

- Ivy! – exclaimed Alan.

- Ugh! – she complained. – I…I feel dizzy… I think I'm dying.

Raphael knelt beside her.

- Let me see, I have experience in medicine… - he said, being grateful for the first time for his father having insisted on teaching medicine to him.

He took a quick but careful look at Ivy's wound.

- You're lucky. I think femoral artery and vein aren't damaged.

- What does that mean? – asked Ivy, who had closed her eyes and was about to lose consciousness.

- It means that you may live. But we have to stop the haemorrhage. I need something to make a tourniquet.

- Something like what? – asked Alan.

- A small elastic cloth, to tie a knot.

- Will this do? – inquired Ivy.

She had taken out a cloth which looked like a sort of a bag. Raphael examined it. It had a golden embroidery saying: "Cervantes de León".

- I'll try. – he ruled, before getting on with it.

**...**

Kilik, Maxi and Xianghua were surrounded by six or seven pirates, who had killed all Hwang's men on that level.

- Get out of here! – suddenly said Maxi.

- What? – replied his friends at the same time.

- Go! I'll take care of them.

- But…they'll kill you! – yelled Xianghua.

- I know. But if you stay here, they'll kill the three of us. You two have a future in common. I have already fulfilled my goal watching Astaroth die. Now I will reunite with my crew…and with my brother.

- Maxi… - sighed Kilik, knowing that he couldn't dissuade his friend.

- You know I'm right. You two love each other. I know you love me too, but not in the same way. Get out of here. Do it for you…and for me.

While they talked, they had to defend themselves from the zombies.

- The door is near. – insisted Maxi. – If you run, you'll reach it before they kill me.

Kilik and Xianghua looked at the mentioned door and then at each other. As many other times, they talked with their eyes: none of them wanted to leave Maxi behind, but they knew that it was the best they could do.

- If I ever have a son, he'll bear your name. – finally said Kilik holding back his tears. – I love you, my friend.

- I love you too, pal. – replied the Japanese pirate, and then he addressed Xianghua. – I love you two.

- You're a hero, Maxi. – claimed the girl smiling at him, something that made Maxi feel happy even when he was about to die.

And he was happy too when he saw his friends, hand in hand, running towards the cathedral's door.

One, two…

Maxi's nunchakus were unfolded fiercely againt the half a dozen pirates attacking him.

A stab in one side almost made him fell, but he had to resist.

Three, four….

When the steel sliced his back he knew his life was coming to an end. He fell on his knees and raised his eyes just in time to see Kilik and Xianghua leaving the cathedral.

Finally, with his last effort, he brandished his nunchakus to disable the fifth and the sixth zombies.

That was the last heroic deed of the pirate from Ryukyu.

**...**

- Please, kill me…

Kilik and Xianghua listened to that sinister voice when they were about to leave the cathedral.

Kilik looked around, confused, until he discovered who had spoken: Zasalamel's living head was on the floor, near them.

- Kill me, I don't mind how, kill me… - begged the desperate head, which had never been so far from its hood.

Kilik checked that the pirates weren't following them, so he took time to approach the head.

- You killed the master, didn't you? – he said angrily.

Zasalamel's reaction was as surprising as clarifying: he started to cry.

- I'm sorry… I'm very sorry…

- I'm sorry too… - replied Kilik. – …but you deserve a crueler fate than his.

And, before Xianghua's astonished look, he kicked the head, which fell down one of the cracks on the floor. Zasalamel's cry was heartbreaking.

- Kilik… - said a shocked Xianghua. – You doomed him to an eternal torture.

- No… - replied her boyfriend. – There was no way to kill him without destroying the world such as we know it. We couldn't do anything for him. He doomed himself.

Finally, the couple left the Cathedral, embraced.

**...**

Still inside the cathedral, Yunsung, Mi-na and Hwang had been luckier than the rest of the group, because they were at an advantage and they managed to disable all the zombies surrounding them.

However, at that moment, the damaged columns and walls of the cathedral started to collapse, little by little.

Suddenly, a piece of rubble hit Mi-na on her head, and she was knocked unconscious.

- Mi-na! – yelled the two men, hurrying to help her.

They were running towards her when a sudden big shake, added to the fact that the level was quite leaning, made Hwang lose balance and fall backwards.

He was about to fall down a crack, but he managed to cling to the floor. However, another shake made his arms roll. Then, he felt someone holding him. Yunsung had grabbed his arm.

- Are you…helping me? – asked a surprised Hwang.

- I'm not the kind of man who lets a fellow die. – replied Yunsung, although his face made clear that he still didn't stand Hwang.

Then, Hwang realized how Yunsung really was. He was about to talk to him about it when another shake made the floor under Yunsung crack, endangering the youngster's balance too.

- Yunsung! How is Mi-na? – asked Hwang.

- She's fine, she's breathing. I don't think there will be any nasty after-effects.

- You have to go and help her. – said Hwang. – This is going to fall down.

- I'll do it as soon as I save you. – replied Yunsung, panting, fighting to pull Hwang out of the crack.

- No! You have to drop me. Or we will both fall.

Yunsung thought about that. He knew he was risking his own life and, of course, Hwang didn't deserve it. However, he was already carrying a man's death on his mind and, since then, he hadn't been able to sleep peacefully. It had been in self-defense, but he felt he was a murderer and he wanted redemption.

- I'm not dropping you, Hwang. – claimed Yunsung. – Furthermore, Mi-na wouldn't forgive me for doing it.

- You're wrong. If there's someone she'll never forgive, that's me. I behaved very badly to you always helped her.

Another shake. Yunsung was starting to roll. He was about to fall too.

- Take this as my apology. – finally said Hwang.

Before Yunsung could even wonder what he was talking about, Hwang unsheathed his saber with his freehand and, quickly, he cut off his other arm, which Yunsung was grabbing.

Horrified, the boy watched Hwang falling into space and, as a reflex reaction, he dropped Hwang's arm, which fell along with him. However, he couldn't stay shocked for a long time, because another shake forced him to move in order not to fall too. He managed to escape and, once he was safe, he carried Mi-na in his arms and headed to the cathedral's door.

**...**

When Yunsung and Mi-na got out of the cathedral, Taki, Sophitia, Kilik, Xianghua, Alan, Raphael and Ivy, who had finally survived thanks to the French man, were already there. So, only Nightmare, Heishiro, Rock and Cervantes were still inside.

- What happened to her? – asked Xianghua to Yunsung when she saw him carrying Mi-na.

- A piece of rubble hit her head. I don't think it's a serious wound, but I'm not sure

- Let me see… - said Raphael.

The youngster left the girl at Raphael's feet, and he ruled that her life wasn't in danger, although it was impossible to know if she would have after-effects.

- And Maxi? Where is he? – inquired Yunsung.

Kilik and Xianghua's sad faces answered his question. He approached and hugged them to confort them.

- Get far from here. All of you. – said someone suddenly. It was Taki. – You have already lost too much in there.

- And what will you do? – asked Raphael.

- I…I'll try not to lose too much too. – answered the ninja. – I'll go back there and help Heishiro to defeat that damned monster.

- Then we'll help you. – replied Yunsung.

- No! You have strong reasons to leave this place… Sophitia has a family, Kilik and Xianghua have each other, Mi-na and Yunsung too, Raphael has a daughter…

- I don't have anybody. – claimed Ivy. – In fact, the only person I really care for now, is in that cathedral too. So I'll go with you.

- Ivy… - said Alan suddenly. – I'm sorry to tell you that Rock can't be saved…and me either.

- W-what?

- We could only continue living if Soul Edge continues existing. And that would be horrible for all of us.

- But…he told me that…you said…Soul Calibur…

- I made it up. – confessed Alan. – I know and I've always known that as soon as Soul Edge disappears, the same will happen to me. And I don't mind. I know what is right, and I know I have to sacrifice myself for the greater good. I told Rock that to give hope to him, so that he wouldn't stop fighting and would keep on the right track. However, he's doomed the same way I am. We're dead and…dead is dead. I'm very sorry.

Ivy was shocked.

- I know he would want you to be safe. And I'll see to it. So, until that bloody sword is destroyed, I'll be by your side and I won't let you endanger your life. All right?

Ivy doubted for a few seconds.

- All right. – she answered while a single tear rolled down her face.

- That's what I wanted to hear. – said Taki. – Now, please, go. Leave it up to us.

Reluctantly, the rest of the group moved away from the cathedral, trusting Heishiro and Taki would solve the problem.

Taki waited until they got out of her sight, and then, when she was about to enter the cathedral again, she heard a female voice behind her back:

- Excuse me…can I find Heishiro Mitsurugi in here?

Taki turned around and was very surprised at what she saw. There were two women in front of her: one of them had European features but was wearing a Japanese suit, while the other one seemed to be a teenager from Southeast Asia and was wearing very strange clothes.

**...**

Meanwhile, inside the cathedral, Heishiro was still fighting against Nightmare while Rock struggled with Cervantes.

Suddenly, a column collapsed and fell on Cervantes, immobilizing him.

Rock took advantage of it and decided to help Heishiro.

The two of them were managing to overpower Nightmare, who was now fighting against an immortal zombie and the most powerful warrior in the world.

However, something tipped the scales back in Nightmare's favour: a gunshot.

Cervantes had managed to get rid of some of the rubble, he had reached his gun and he had shot Heishiro. The shot hit Heishiro's leg, and he fell to the ground and dropped Soul Calibur.

The pirate was about to shoot the samurai again and finally kill him, but Rock reacted in time and prevented him from doing so.

Meanwhile, Nightmare took advantage of the situation and kicked Heishiro, moving him away from Soul Calibur.

Instead of trying to kill the warrior, Nightmare preferred to destroy at once the only sword which could defeat him.

Heishiro witnessed in horror how the dark knight raised Soul Edge and, with all his might, sank it into Soul Calibur.

The Holy Sword, which had been shining during the whole battle, broke into pieces and its shine faded out.

Nightmare, pleased, laughed loudlier than ever before. He was enjoying so much that he didn't notice Heishiro leaving the cathedral with his last effort.

Seconds after the samurai got out of the Lost Cathedral, it finally collapsed.

But that didn't matter: the three people inside were too powerful or invulnerable to die in there. Soul Edge had won. And Soul Calibur…didn't exist any more.


	101. Chapter 100: The last hope

**Chapter 100: The last hope**

Heishiro, in pain, let himself fall on his knees as soon as he left the ruined cathedral.

- You're alive! – exclaimed Taki, who hurried to help him.

- Yes, but that doesn't matter now. – said Heishiro, resigned. – Soul Edge has won.

- What are you saying?

- Soul Calibur has been destroyed. – answered Heishiro.

Taki bent down to look at Heishiro's eyes.

- You did what you could, Mitsurugi. – she whispered.

- I always thought I was the best… - admitted the samurai. – …but I didn't manage to do this.

- You're the best for me, Heishiro.

The ninja moved her face closer to Heishiro's, but then Heishiro saw something behind her that made him react.

- What is she doing here? – he yelled when he saw Setsuka.

- Who is she? Do you know her?

- He knows me very well, darling. – replied the woman approaching them. – I'm the one who's going to kill him.

At that moment, Setsuka unsheathed her sword, unsettling both Taki and Talim, who was watching everything from a short distance.

- What is she talking about? Is she mad? – shouted the ninja, trying to keep Setsuka away from Heishiro.

No! – suddenly exclaimed the samurai, who seemed to be very quiet. – Let her do what she has to do.

- What? Do you want her to kill you? What's all this nonsense? Don't we have enough with all this? – yelled Taki, who was losing composure, something unusual in her.

- I killed her father. – confessed Heishiro. – I deserve this. If you don't want to see it, go. But don't get involved.

Taki didn't know what to do, but Setsuka was determined. She approached Heishiro and put her sword's blade on his neck. Heishiro closed his eyes, prepared to die.

Setsuka looked at him with hatred and pressed the sword stronger, so Heishiro started to bleed. For some reason, Setsuka's arm was shaking. She finally had her father's murderer at her disposal and, however, her hand was shaking.

The woman raised her eyes and looked around. Taki was struggling to hold her tears back, while Talim was already crying in silence.

Setsuka closed her eyes, raised her sword and, when everybody was thinking that she would slice Heishiro's neck, she threw the weapon to the floor.

Heishiro opened his eyes in surprise when he heard the sword hitting the ground. He looked at Setsuka, confused.

- My father's life for your brother's. – she claimed. – We're at peace.

Taki sighed in relief, although that wouldn't last very long. Suddenly, the cathedral's remains started to move. First, Cervantes crawled out of them. Then, Rock appeared, holding his axe and looking really sad. Finally, Nightmare came out vigorously, holding Soul Edge.

Taki, Heishiro, Setsuka and Talim looked at them, feeling both frightened and amazed. Rock approached them, while Cervantes knelt before Nightmare.

The dark knight laughed loudly, making everyone else shudder, even Cervantes.

- I'd never felt so alive. – roared Nightmare. – But there's still something missing. I need to…KILL!

Nightmare quickly looked around and saw Talim, who was disarmed and away from the other people. He raised Soul Edge and ran towards her.

Setsuka was the first to realize Nightmare's intentions, and she decided to do something. She hurried to pick up the sword she had just thrown and jumped on Soul Edge's wielder.

- You'll not lay a finger on her! – she yelled just before sticking her sword through Nightmare's armor.

Nightmare stopped and looked at her in surprise, while she looked at him with hatred, waiting for him to collapse. Obviously, he didn't. Nightmare laughed again, took Setsuka's sword out of his body and threw it away. Before Setsuka could even wonder what had happened, Nightmare killed her with just one Soul Edge's blow.

- No! – yelled Talim, horrified.

Setsuka's wrecked body fell to the ground. Soul Edge and Nightmare seemed even stronger after having killed her.

Then, suddenly, all of them were surprised by a light which started to shine. Heishiro was the first to notice its source.

- You, little girl!

Everybody looked at Talim. At her feet, Setsuka's sword was shining brightly.

- The sword! It's there!

Nightmare recognized, horrified, Soul Calibur's shine.

- It's not possible! – he roared.

He didn't waste a second and headed to the girl and the sword to destroy them before she could react, but this time he didn't reach her either. Rock was faster and jumped on Nightmare, moving him away from Talim. Heishiro took advantage of it and approached the girl and the sword, finding strength out of weakness. He was about to pick up Setsuka's sword when his own weapon started to shine too, surprising him.

Cervantes hurried to pull out his gun and point it at the samurai, but before he could pull the trigger, two daggers were quickly thrown towards him: one of them cut off the hand which was holding the gun and the other one stuck on one of his eyes. Taki, who had thrown the daggers, approached him and knocked him down with a kick.

Meanwhile, Rock struggled with Nightmare and Heishiro talked to Talim.

- Listen to me, little girl. I need you to do something very important. – Heishiro was speaking very quickly, while a confused Talim tried to understand him. – I don't know how or why, but I think that swords acquire Soul Calibur's powers when they are close to you.

The samurai grabbed Setsuka's sword, which was still shining, while he talked.

- Do you see the sword the man in the armor is wielding? It's called Soul Edge. If we don't destroy it now, it will be a disaster for everyone. And I think that the only person who can do it…is you.

- H-How…?

- As soon as you can, you must stick this sword on Soul Edge's eye, do you understand? – he said, handing Setsuka's sword to her.

- Yes, but…I…I've never… - she whined, grabbing the weapon not very convinced.

- It's no time to back out, girl. The world's fate is in your hands.

Right after saying that, Heishiro unsheathed his own katana and hurried to help Rock in his fight against Nightmare. As he had supposed, as soon as he moved away from Talim the katana's shine faded out.

Nightmare then realized that Talim was his main threat, so he got ready to kill her. Rock, with his body very damaged but not being able to die, tried to hold him back. However, the dark knight, knowing he couldn't kill Rock, decided to finally unable him. First, he cut off the arm with which he was holding his axe. Once Rock was defenceless, Nightmare sliced his two legs with just one blow, and left him completely maimed on the ground.

After getting rid of Rock, Nightmare saw Heishiro jumping on him, but the dark night didn't even take the trouble to try to kill him. He just hit the samurai strongly with his arm, stunning him, and headed towards Talim to kill her.

The girl, scared and holding Setsuka's sword with both hands, barely managed to walk backwards slowly, trying to move away from that bloodthirsty monster.

However, Nightmare reached her soon, and before she could react, he hit her hands, making her drop the weapon. Then, Nightmare tread on the sword, breaking it and turning its shine off.

Nightmare was now face to face with Talim, wielding Soul Edge, while she was defenceless.

- Yield to my power! – he yelled, and then he moved the sword facing the petrified girl.

Then, before he could kill Talim, something happened. Taki hurried and got the dagger which had cut off Cervantes' hand. Then, she threw it at Soul Edge. Showing her great accuracy again, the dagger stuck just on Soul Edge's eye.

That confused Nightmare, who didn't react, believing that the dagger was harmless for him. And it was…until Talim grabbed its handle.

The dagger started to shine very brightly, and soon Soul Edge and Nightmare were shining too.

- What? NO! – roared Nightmare, understanding what was happening.

Taki and Heishiro, who was still a little stunned on the floor, smiled when they saw that light.

However, the light became so strong that they couldn't see anything, but Nightmare's shriek was clarifying. When the light faded out, Soul Edge, Nightmare and the dagger had disappeared, and Talim was gripping nothing.

Heishiro stood up stumbling. He, Taki and Talim looked at each other. The samurai and the ninja smiled, unbelieving that they had won. The priestess still hadn't understood what had happened.

However, among all that happiness, somebody was leaving the world. Rock, who at this stage was just a trunk with a head and an arm, started to vanish. Although he disappeared with a last joy. Fortune had wanted him to fall looking at Cervantes, who at that very moment was disappearing too. So, Rock died watching his parents' murderer die. However, he didn't want his last thought to be a revengeful one. His last thought was a pure one, a thought of love. And this last thought had a name: Bangoo…

Close to him, a limping Heishiro and Taki approached each other and hugged, which served as a way to both celebrate their victory and prove the affection they felt for each other.

**...**

Not far from there, the main group walked away from the ruined Lost Cathedral. Kilik, Xianghua, Sophitia, Mi-na (who had already recovered consciousness), Yunsung, Raphael, Ivy, Alan…until the last one felt something strange in his feet, or rather, he stopped feeling something. Soon it was in his knees, and not much later in his chest. He was disappearing.

- Guys! – he exclaimed when he realized what was happening.

Everyone else turned around to look at him and, astonished, they saw a floating head which, before disappearing, said: "We won."

The rest of the group, having not assimilated yet what had happened, looked at each other. The first to talk was Sophitia, addressing Raphael.

- Your eyes… They don't glare any more…

- That means… - whispered Kilik.

- Soul Edge has been destroyed. – said the French man, smiling.

Those words made everyone else smile too. That was worthy of merit, considering that almost all of them had recently lost someone.

Xianghua ran to Kilik's arms, and Yunsung looked at Mi-na, as if he expected her to do something similar. However, instead of that, she kissed his lips.

Meanwhile, Raphael and Sophitia comforted Ivy, who was the saddest person at that moment, because she knew that Rock had just died.

When the expressions of affection finished, Yunsung talked.

- Listen, I suggest that we stay in here for a while. Maybe Heishiro and Taki are following us.

- That's a good idea. – said Xianghua. – I hope everything has gone well and we see the two of them again.

So the group stopped there to rest and, indeed, about an hour later, Heishiro, Taki and Talim reached them.

And, finally, they could all go back home…


	102. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

…except for Xianghua, who went to Kilik's home.

They decided to go back to Nepal and rebuild Ling-Sheng Su Temple, where they spent years training the generations of fighters to come, and, among those fighters, their three children: Maxi, Shunsuke (they found out the master's real name thanks to those who heard Zasalamel say it in the Lost Cathedral) and Xianglian.

**...**

Mi-na and Yunsung went back to the Seong dojo, and Han-Myeong welcomed them with open arms. Han-Myeong told his daughter that she had proved to be as worthy as any man, and he offered her to inherit the dojo. However, she refused and finally Yunsung inherited it…although the two youngsters finally married, so the result was the same.

**...**

Monsieur Fleuret was nicely surprised when he realized Amy wasn't possessed any more, but he was even more surprised when one night, as it had happened before, he was cooking dinner and was interrupted by someone knocking at his door. Obviously, it was Raphael again, who had come to take his daughter, with whom he spent the rest of his life peacefully.

**...**

Talim went back to her tribe. She spent years entertaining the children with the amazing tale of how she had destroyed the evil sword. Actually, it took Talim herself years to find out how she had managed to do it, but she finally understood that she had a purifying energy inside, similar to Soul Calibur's, which was even stronger because of her pure soul.

**...**

Sophitia went back to Greece with her family. Although Cassandra's loss was something difficult to forget, they managed to finally have a happy life together again.

**...**

Heishiro stopped believing himself to be the most powerful warrior in the world…not knowing that, in fact, he had just begun to be so, now that Olcadan and Edge Master were dead and Zasalamel was trapped in a bodyless head. He went back to Japan along with Taki (who probably was the most powerful female fighter in the world) and, although they never married or had children, they kept an affectionate relationship for the rest of their lives.

**...**

Finally, Ivy went back to England. However, she popped around Valencia before, and she kept his word and supported the sailor who had helped Rock and herself. Once in her home country, she had to confront the authorities about having left the country despite of being under suspicion of having murdered Joanne Stuart, although she managed to prove her innocence. Since then, her life was quite similar to the life of any person of her social position. However, she did something noteworthy. Like the cultured person she was, she decided that it would be useful to share everything that had happened to her, so she wrote a book concerning the two swords and all that happened around them. That's how this story will last forever. The story of Soul Edge…and Soul Calibur.


End file.
